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RE: Extra special EAR CARE for our babies

crone — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 01:20:45 GMT

lol.. that was supposed to be a reply for the post re cultural awareness for foster care. I rarely use forums, and obviously it shows. Was just about to go to bed, but first chance, I'll enjoy having a read of all the posts.

RE: Extra special EAR CARE for our babies

crone — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 01:18:03 GMT

Hey there.. Just wondering how you went getting some help? I have 11 indigenous kids (10 at home, one away doing further education), and 2 indig grandchildren all living with me (it's a brady bunch). I homeschool, and another one just got into uni doing indigenous archaeology. Hope I can help.

RE: Extra special EAR CARE for our babies

jackie0109 — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:25:25 GMT

I am learning how to take care of my child's ears because I'm only cleaning the outside ear of my daughter.

RE: Extra special EAR CARE for our babies

The Pied Piper — Fri, 01 May 2009 10:01:57 GMT

Just on the post (so sorry forgot your name) on the heading 'Indigenous Parents' and not wanting to post as felt it didn't apply to them .... i feel this is an attitude that we all must change and just goes to show we have such a long way to go yet! At my childrens' school there is an Indigenous/Naidoc Committee group made up of parents. I assumed that you could be on that committee only if you were Indigenous, but it wasn't the case. I was asked to join, as i help alot at the school with some of the mothers on this committee, and that i showed an interest in their culture. So here i am, the only white woman on the Indigenous Committee. I find that sad, and i think we should all take more of an interest in the culture of the native people of this land (like N.Z.)

Look at you go, I imagine that is facinating. I've been reading up on the Abboriginal culture on websites. This is partly how NZ did start having a real understanding of the Maori culture... the Kapa Haka groups in the schools were a lot of fun, the songs, dancing and culture were made so much fun all the little white kids wanted to do it.

But the question of abboriginals and which foster homes is very much, I believe, a matter of funding. Certain abboriginal groups got large amounts of funding with the stipulation that they would only have "indigenous carers" recruited. So they may find you more than suitable, they just arn't allowed.

DoCS still has the biggest caregiver base which in NSW is about 80% of carers and the rest foster through NGO's. And if needed yes they [DoCS] will place abboriginal children with white carers. Where I am there is a preference if you are not an Australian couple because (I can't even work out how to say this carefully) white middleclass Aussies tend to be rather rascist and don't do well having a real understanding of how important different cultures are.

The average white foster parents do have a reasonable sounding arguement that if the kid is fed and looked after it shouldn't matter.

But I would say you and I know very differently and that an awareness for another culture and heritage must not only be appreciated and acknowledged but celebrated and encouraged.

I think you'd be perfect for any kids, since you can identify with cultures outside of your own.

Now I am just going to bleat on..... being aware of cultures and having an appreciation for other peoples heritage also means you can understand that a childs family (yep even the boring white ones) have their own traditions and way of doing things. You will be able to keep a child connected to their roots and be less likely to critique the way a child does things differently or understands differently from the children in your own family.

RE: Extra special EAR CARE for our babies

all round mum — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:26:06 GMT

WOW!!! What an incredibly fascinating read by all who posted. It just shows that it is such a touchy subject, and yes it all started from an Indigenous Australian telling about the importance of ear care in Indigenous babies.

I live in Darwin and have done for eight years, and since moving here have had real interactions with the local people (local people meaning the Larrakia People) to which i had never experienced before, having been born and raised in urban Sydney!

I'm really split by this one, on one hand i think any child regardless of race that needs a loving family should be allowed one, regardless of the to be caregivers race. But on the other hand i believe the indigineous culture has been totally down troddin and a child of indigineous race should be placed into an idigineous family to keep the culture strong.

Surely though if you provide all the 'ticks' for being a foster parent that if an indigineous child comes along you can't foster them because you haven't done a certain course or can't answer the relevant cultural questions? Or is that the case?

My partner and i have thought about adopting a child from my partners' native land Mozambique as we speak Portuguese, (or i think i can!!!) my partner speaks his native dialect and we are actively involved and are members of the African Australian association so we felt we could keep the culture alive for the child. But our obstacle is money! We are not Madonna or Brangelina!!!

It amazes me that at the end of the day there are children everywhere who need loving families and there are loving families everywhere that want to care for these children yet politics and red tape rule over all!

RE: Extra special EAR CARE for our babies

The Pied Piper — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 09:27:00 GMT

Hiya Happy,

It seems every one gets paid more than me.<smile> All the NGO's pay their carers more, which I am guessing means they charge DoCS more for placements (don't know but wish there was someone to ask). Then if your kids can't read of something they go to care +1 - more serious (autism and such) I think it's Care +2.

Even when I did have a little boy with autism I still got standard allowance and then when the mistake was discovered after he left no one back dated the monies although they did talk about it for awhile.

Discussion I had with someone from LWB's was pathetic, going on about how they are a charity. Charity or not one has to assume they pay themselves a salary and don't get up and act as caseworkers and place children for free.

You know I am talking about fostering everywhere except in the fostering forums. Where did all the foster parents go?

But anyways we are volunteers and if we don't like the allowance we can stop fostering I guess. And in NZ (I always go there to compare aye) we got 186.00 a fortnight for a child 0 - 5 and mananged just fine - well hubby has good job and if I want them nicely dressed then it comes out of our income. Coming here I was amazed at such a big allowance but everything seems more expensive here so I guess that makes up for it.

RE: Extra special EAR CARE for our babies

The Pied Piper — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 19:15:51 GMT

Hiya Antique - what is an IRL?

Hey Happy - I truley believe those people and what they are doing should be shot by taking in little children and trying to turn them against their own heritage - but isn't it the same thing that mum got her kids taken off her for when she was accused of turning her own children against their father?

I wanted to ask you both for suggestions on cultural stuff... I was told to watch Rabbit Proof Fence, should cheer me up no end over Easter by the sounds of it. Any other aboriginal movies or rentable documentaries that would help me come to grips with some indigenous culture?

I have spent the last few days doing Life Story Work - kids in long term care get this ring binder with "My Life Story" written on the front and it has sections inside like "where I have lived" and "what my birth was like" stuff we carers arn't told anyway.

So I gutted it and did my own one that just covers two years I had one set of siblings here in Oz. Stuff they liked, things they did, what sort of kids they were while here. It's exhausting and of course I am crap with computers so lots of mistakes were made. Printed out over 100 photos down at local KMart that I thought were particularly cute or fun. Have gone through 4 ink cartidges and a ton of paper and I am starting to think I should be getting some funding just for bothering.<smile>

Read some govenement stuff today and some other tabloid type stuff about us foster parents just raking it in. I bet some do, but wow they make no allowance at all that maybe there could be just a few that spend it on the actual children. You would not belive the wear and tear on a house that has many pre-schoolers bouncing around in it at any one time either - or you two probably would.

Oh and Lice (see I'm on a roll now) - they cost a fortune aye. Days off work (hubby) to go to more serious appointments, petrol. Clothes, toys, food, medical. And no way will I deprive a child in my care of a Happy Meal once a week.<grin>

And I only do pre-schoolers, no idea how the ones with older kids get through it all.

To clarify... I get 395.00 a fornight for a child between 0 - 5 years old. I know sounds like heaps but it just dispears so quickly.

Might go have a wee sit down now and a coffee.

RE: Extra special EAR CARE for our babies

mammato5 — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 19:28:12 GMT

The forums aside, I utilise the information available on the website as it is simple, easy to read and printer friendly. When I am looking for printouts etc for work, I usually have several different websites that I use for info, this being one of them.

Looking for advice and support on the net is good, but there is nothing like IRL. So I would rather see any finanicial assitance directed towards up to date info, not the constant maintanence of forums.

RE: Extra special EAR CARE for our babies

uzma — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 18:51:57 GMT

mammato5

Posted 2 days ago @ 3:12 PM

*
This has always been an issue on here. When I was first here a couple of years ago, no one ever posted. I actually got sick of only seeing how many people would read and then not bother to reply. Plus I was tired of the spammers, which today yet again I see more have posted trying to sell stuff, or another was leaving links to other sites, they would post once and leave a link for home business ventures or whatever.*
There has alw

Ar me lovelies
could be a case of more tax public purse money required. After all the site is a combined effort of=

• Communities for Children - $142 million
• Early Childhood - Invest to Grow - $70 million
• Local Answers - $152 million
• Choice and Flexibility in Child Care - $125 million

• Last reviewed17-05-2006
•
•
• Oops! 2006 ?

RE: Extra special EAR CARE for our babies

The Pied Piper — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 09:23:56 GMT

AntiqueMum I think you just killed it.<grin>

Wish I could find an oboriginal to talk to. I went and looked at Aboriginal providers of care for foster children and you can't even apply to be one unless of Aboriginal decent.

I did anyway of course. I am more than willing to learn about any child's culture that I have in care. I had a couple of little Aboriginal children in NZ, had Maori's, Indian's, Arabian girl.

Most interesting is when I have gang children all mixed together from different gangs, I'm sure their mums and dads would just spew.

And you do treat each culture differently, even gang cultures (colours - would never dress them in an opposing gang colour).

Fostering children under five I am amazed at other carers who think if they're babies where they came from doesn't matter. They really arn't taught here that it starts from birth.

I am thinking maybe I need the support of some local indigenous peoples and of course I have to go learn more about the culture, I found a site and started reading about their religeous beliefs - really interesting stuff but reading about people opposed to meeting them and getting to know their culture through them would be worlds apart.

Is there a hotline or something?

RE: Extra special EAR CARE for our babies

mammato5 — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:12:02 GMT

This has always been an issue on here. When I was first here a couple of years ago, no one ever posted. I actually got sick of only seeing how many people would read and then not bother to reply. Plus I was tired of the spammers, which today yet again I see more have posted trying to sell stuff, or another was leaving links to other sites, they would post once and leave a link for home business ventures or whatever.

There has always only been a few forums that move, albeit at a slow pace, at least people are posting.

RE: Extra special EAR CARE for our babies

uzma — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:50:34 GMT

My point was Sarah we are'all people,' and mothers

and not even a hi from anybody

I could go on but can not be bothered.

RE: Extra special EAR CARE for our babies

The Pied Piper — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 09:09:43 GMT

"PARENTS LIKE ME' / 'INDIGENOUS PARENTS"

Maybe it meant we could talk about them and they were the subject topic. You would think that both the "dad's" active on this site could just e-mail each other so as not to be invaded.

Hey - ANYONE. Patty got me thinking a lot about what I do as a foster parent and she is also a constant reminder of how little I know about this country and the people in it. Nothing about the politics. I will go out there myself and try to get information etc but what I am concidering is this:

I am already an active short term foster parent here and recently several children left to either return to parents or go in to Long Term care. I have one (white) sort term child left. And here I am reading about the little aboriginal children already in care and crowded as there are not enough aboriginal carers.

So are there courses I can do so that I can learn enough about the culture to get the point I could care for the children and succesfully keep them in touch with their culture?

RE: Extra special EAR CARE for our babies

SarahG — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 19:09:32 GMT

I would hazard a guess that the reason there hasn't been a reply to this thread for such a long time is that there hasn't been an indigenous person wanting to respond. The heading for this forum is "PARENTS LIKE ME' / 'INDIGENOUS PARENTS" ....Which to me means that if I'm not indigenous then the person who started this thread probably doesn't want to hear from me on this particular topic. Otherwise they would have posted it in a different area. The same way that the Dads have a thread in their area all about how when a woman gets involved in one of their threads a lot of them just stop posting comments because they feel 'invaded'. I am certainly not racist, I simply don't identify myself as being indigenous so didn't feel I had the right to post on this thread.

Just wanted to clear that point up.

Thanks.

RE: Extra special EAR CARE for our babies

uzma — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 22:15:35 GMT

You might find this of interest

http://www.abc.net.au/indigenous/stories/s2527272.htm

I am pleased at being called an old chook..... compliment really

RE: Extra special EAR CARE for our babies

The Pied Piper — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 21:30:23 GMT

Ahh New Zealand... a Treaty was signed with the Maoris. No running away from that now. I believe when settlers first started cruising into NZ the Maori way of life made assimilation much easier. They were a fighting people and had territories they fought for. They had crops and cleared land, they had already themselves made several species extinct, had dogs and pigs.

Aboriginals were something different, peaceful, nomadic.. Probably happier to just be left alone. Is there no option to leave them alone? Do they have to assimilate? Does lack of academic education mean they are any less than the rest of us school goers?

Is it too late? They want to be part of the world now or do the ones that don't be given a choice?

Every country white man went to the first thing they did was hand out the grog. Brilliant. Then let your offsrping call them drunks for generations to come.

I don't remember seeing that mentioned in the big apology.

There is something wrong here Patty me old chook.... maybe we should end it until there is an aboriginal here to speak on their own behalf instead of a white Aussie and a white Kiwi arguing about what may be in their best interests - that mistake was make a long time ago.

RE: Extra special EAR CARE for our babies

uzma — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 20:29:06 GMT

Question:-So when you say knowledge are you talking about your friend with the children who got the two long terms? Is this where you decided 12 kids in a house probably weren’t ideal?
Answer: Nope, I knew long before that they were a problem. That is why we put forth the proposal to open a boarding house, Ag school. That was supported by the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs office.
*I have noticed in this country that there isn't a sharing and hardly an interest in the aboriginal culture.*
Answer - correct
• In NZ all people know some Maori words or become quite fluent because from primary school they are emersed in it and it is made a fun thing to be part of. A lot of the customs become part of everyone’s family life.*

NZ is miles ahead of us in many ways. Especially when it comes to questions of humanity. NZ Were also a good example of value adding for their own country – and diverted much of their cruel Live Animal Trade back to production in their own country. We could gain a lot from following some of heir policies. Aboriginal people have many different languages. I was fortunate enough to have parents and especially a mother that taught us to mix and learn from a very young age. We lived at Kempsey and mixed daily. Sadly I have forgotten a lot of language but I still recall a song we all sang together as kids. Gin Gang Gooli gooly gooly wash was ging gang goo- ging gand goo. Repeat
Then Hailer, hailer shale, hailer shaler aller o
Hailer o hailer shailer\ walli walli walli
Goong gash and so on.
Graham Dillion is a friend of the family and we have done a lot over the years- Too much to write here- see Graham here
http://www.griffith.edu.au/about-griffith/aboriginal-torres-strait-islander-first-peoples/community-culture/elders/graham-dillon

*I'm afraid you don't get a gold star just for commenting on a message **left a year ago. Okay doesn’t quote me - maybe you do around here.
Actually I didn’t realise it was left a year ago. I am having a few problems following this forum systemTBO.
After saying it makes it worse!! Not one of the other posters bothered to encourage or support the writer.
Sickening.
Question>:?*How does one contact aboriginal people by choice? Is there a hotline or something?*
Answer: Yep sure is. Its called go out of your way to contact them to see how you can help.
*I was shocked to discover "abbo" was not an acceptable term - it is used regularly without malice across the ditch.*
It doesn’t normally upset most true aboriginal people Julie. Only the good doers .
*But anyway - if your average white Aussies take the little Aboriginal children they will loose who they are and their connection to their race and their land.*
Julie, they are not little animals running around in the bush. They are little people who need help to attend school uni and assimilate. We don’t have aboriginal schools on every corner. We have Christian Islamic and many other schools but it seems the Government our Government were not as respectful as NZ. They have to be a part of society. So what, we house them in an isolated area then expect them to just fit in with whites at school?
• Funding should still be going to those within the culture to improve things for their own people.*
• The fact IS in Australia (Especially since the intervention again) - there are thousands of these children who have been removed and nowhere near enough aboriginal carers. Most of them already have 10 to 12 in tiny houses. / Even the Government have acknowledged it has to change. A small miracle!
No not the drunken uncle and every family of every race have one of those.
Yes but Foster carers must ALL meet their basic requirements and we can’t simply over look the rules – just because they are aboriginal in preference to white carers and that FYI is what has been happening for a long time!
Because these kids get a even worse run that many others. I would like to do something to 'also help them-

RE: Extra special EAR CARE for our babies

The Pied Piper — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 22:55:53 GMT

So when you say knowledge are you talking about your friend with the children who got the two long term? Is this where you decided 12 kids in a house probably wasn't ideal?

I have noticed in this country that there isn't a sharing and hardly an interest in the aboriginal culture. In NZ all people know some Maori words or become quite fluent because from primary school they are emersed in it and it is made a fun thing to be part of. A lot of the customs become part of everyones family life.

I'm afraid you don't get a gold star just for commenting on a message left a year ago. Okay don't quote me - maybe you do around here.

How does one contact aboriginal people by choice? Is there a hotline or something?

I still feel bad about climbing Uluru - no one told me it wasn't cool. And when I got here I was shocked to discover "abbo" was not an acceptable term - it is used regularly without malice across the ditch.

But anyway - if your average white Aussies take the little Aboriginal children they will loose who they are and their connection to their race and their land. Funding should still be going to those within the culture to improve things for their own people.

No not the drunken uncle and every family of every race has one of those.

RE: Extra special EAR CARE for our babies

uzma — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 22:16:51 GMT

Jewely Considering I was the only one to comment on this thread- i feel thats a bit rich.
fyi have had extensive knowledge of aboriginal people and worked with them over a life time.
We dont have aboriginal schools here. We dont even have aboriginal work shops for all kids to learn.
I 'do' have contact with aboriginal people on a weekly basis by choice .
These children are often put with a family for culture reasons because it looks better on the department politically.
That is despite uncle being a drunk etc.
Do not be so quick to judge people
Short Story

I worked with the QLD Minister for aboriginal affairs and others for several years. I put up a progect that Warren Pitt X Minister actually offered a lot of funding for in support.
Several other people from both Maylasia Australia etc.. were stunned when a gift of 12 million dollars gift was REGECTED to buy a property on the Gold Coast .

Colledge uni Ag centre etc.. This was all due to one provider funded by the Government.

They and they 'alone' made that choice after a shift in the Ministers advisors office,.

A week ago speaking with the premiers office they have assured us that they intend to make sweeping changes to fostering aboriginal children.

So they should- because they are still treating aboriginal kids like specimen progects.
My very good friend fosters 7 aboriginal children and prior to that has had dozens come and go.

HOWEVER. despite having two of those kiddies for three years- since they were very young the department a years or so ago decided to remove them

These little kids had only ever known my friend and her husband- and have three other brothers and sisters there.

The aboriginal Uncle who suddenly decided her wanted the kids after years is a drunk of the highest order. Everybody knows it. He has six! other kiddies in his care in a very small area!

Now the interesting thing is he refused to take the two children when they were just babies.

To cut a long story short. my friend and her husband challanged the department legally.
They won and have custody until they are 18.

Also THEY are the only ones who have kept incontact with the Mother of the children.

Whatever- People are quick to jump in and assume others have no knowledge.
Like I said I was the only person who even bothered to comment on the thread about aboriginal babies.

I think thats pretty sad and that there are some self centered people in this world

RE: Extra special EAR CARE for our babies

The Pied Piper — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 19:39:07 GMT

I have not fostered aboriginal children here but I have had little Maori children and Samoan because I do know bits about their culture.

Culture and not the number of rooms is really the important aspect of caring for children from other backgrounds. And Patty it is incredibly important in the way you care for them and talk to them so that they do not become isolated from their own heritage.

I think this lady was talking about inner ear problems and you turned it in to some weird attack on aboriginal caregivers and the size of their dwellings.

The funding probably encourages more aboriginal people to become carers and they are very much needed. Other organisations do non-aboriginal so they are filling a need where there is a gap.

This two children per room is a very WHITE concept and has nothing to do with raising happy, healthy, educated, children with a strong race identity.

RE: Extra special EAR CARE for our babies

uzma — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 18:14:34 GMT

crystalmum

I just wanted to say its great to have people like you to share your knowledge.
I also wanted to ask for your opinion on non aboriginal people fostering children.
We were looking into it after the adds on the TV last year. I have had a lot to do with aboriginal people all my like.
When i contacted the agent in our area we were told that it was a rule that they only recieved funding if they did not allow non aboriginal people to foster.

Considering there re so many in need of care it made us pretty cranky. Lets face it everybody pays the taxes inthe first place.

In the second place too many people have twelve children in a tiny place just because they are aboriginal.
Nobody can give twelve children special attention IMO.
Nobody has twelve bedrooms- 13 rooms if you count Mum and Dad.Yet for us to foster we have to give each child a seperate room.

I would have thought a five year old would have been much happier with a eight year old sister together in the one room.

That would give them the oportunity to stay together as a family.

We dont mind to take non aboriginal children but we love aboriginal kids and really really wanted to help a couple by long term fostering - or even adoption if that was appropiate.

Looks like we wont be allowed. Do you think thats fair on aboriginal kids in need- because i dont.

That means all the other kids will get first chance to have new homes and lots of love.

Mean while the aboriginal kids get stuck in tiny homes a dozen cramed in together.
What do you think. Pls speak freely.

Extra special EAR CARE for our babies

crystalmum — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 21:00:52 GMT

Hi there,

I just took my 6.5 month old for his special ear check and it was all clear. Yippee. Speak to your health advisor to make sure you have your babies ears checked too as they have extra concern for middle ear problems in indigenous children.

We also got a lovely show bag from the indigenous health people with a cloth bag, cap and water bottle all carrying the red, yellow and black flag. Lovely.

Anyone else know of anything special we should look out for in our babies?