What's the Answer? - Create
What's the Answer? - Create
What's the Answer? - Create
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No preference• I don’t care if it’s specialised or not, all I care about is that its accessible, well promoted to youngpeople, and that it has <strong>the</strong> adequate funds and resources to do its job and provide <strong>the</strong> assistanceto young people.• Because of <strong>the</strong> diverse benefits and drawbacks to both options and <strong>the</strong> unique needs of youngpeople, <strong>the</strong> most effective system is to offer young people <strong>the</strong> option of attending both kinds ofservices.• Both are important.• Young people should be able to choose as long as <strong>the</strong>y have all <strong>the</strong> information about what isavailable.Transitioning to Independence and/or Interdependence• The Government should be focussing equally on both ‘independence’ and ‘connecting tocommunity’ but that currently <strong>the</strong>y are highly focused on <strong>the</strong> ‘independence’ strand at <strong>the</strong>expense of connecting to community. Fur<strong>the</strong>rmore that <strong>the</strong>re should be less focus on forcing youto ‘grow up’ and more of meeting <strong>the</strong> young person where <strong>the</strong>y are at with <strong>the</strong> appropriatesupports and services.• Being independent is about having support from people that aren’t <strong>the</strong> Department. Gainingindependence is great but I know that I have been better off since I have had good friends andhave been involved in <strong>the</strong> community. As <strong>the</strong>y say 'you alone can do it but you can do it alone'.• Both are important. Young people need to be connected with <strong>the</strong>ir family but it is even moreimportant to become independent to transition into adulthood, eg. work, rent, etc.• You cannot be a productive part of <strong>the</strong> community without being connected to it but a part ofbeing independent is knowing how to be part of a community.• The focus of independence and community establishment needs to be individualised, with bothbeing addressed throughout <strong>the</strong> young person’s development.• The word ‘independence’ can be interpreted as “not relying on anybody else” – this is in factdiscriminatory against children and young people in care. To describe any individual as‘independent’ is denying <strong>the</strong>ir right to access supports.• Community contact and support is very important to Indigenous young people.• The interaction between one’s self and <strong>the</strong>ir community is how a young person grows into acontributing adult. You need to be independent to have confidence to engage with yourcommunity.• Independence is a vital part of living in today’s society, it is crucial that young people in care aregiven <strong>the</strong> support to become adults in a world where your feet are <strong>the</strong> only ones that supportyou. I believe independence is an empowering and valuable part of <strong>the</strong> transition out of care. Itgives young people <strong>the</strong> power to live <strong>the</strong>ir lives in <strong>the</strong>ir own direction which has been deprived of<strong>the</strong>m by departments who have made all <strong>the</strong> decisions for <strong>the</strong>m for years. Independence is areality for everyone at some stage; you can’t live with friends or family forever.30