Placing children in care in UK is defended by deputy on phone-in

Monday 21st January 2013, 1:00PM GMT.

SPENDING £2m. on placing children in care in the UK is in their best interests, Deputy Al Brouard has said.

A caller to the BBC phone-in yesterday questioned whether Health and Social Services has approached the issue in the right way after it was revealed that thirty-one local children were placed in care in the UK at an estimated cost of £2,376,041 – despite claims that some of their parents felt able to look after them.

But Deputy Brouard, pictured, said external placements were a last resort.

‘We’re not talking about sending people off-island because we want to, it’s about sending people off-island because it’s the best thing for the children.’

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1
No One

January 21, 2013 at 1:07 pm

One also tends to wonder if this is another way of getting people who may not be quite what the island wants off the island for good.

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- Ed
  
  January 21, 2013 at 6:48 pm
  
  I don’t believe that the domestic government- an organisation that sacrifices their narrow self-interest to preserve individual welfare- would carry out a policy that advocates an almost Social Darwinist approach to life.
  
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2
No One

January 21, 2013 at 1:09 pm

And it also seems odd that I brought this up about 12 months ago and no one was interested. I wonder why it is now ?

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3
islander

January 21, 2013 at 2:01 pm

Lets hope these children have not been sent to a mental hospital like my sister who spent 20 years in one for severe speech problems in Southampton in the 1950s.I did not know i had an elder sister until mid 1970s.States of Guernsey Childrens Board responsible then. Hopefully them days are gone by.

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4
johnl

January 21, 2013 at 5:01 pm

It’s bad enough that children have to be taken away from their parents but to then send them away from other members of the family is a disgrace.This idiot Brouard should resign immediately as he has no regard for these poor childrens feelings.

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5
PG (Guern in UK)

January 21, 2013 at 9:52 pm

Back in the late 70′s i was sent off to the uk
for a short stay with foster parents, after my father was unable to look after me.
I had no say in this and was shipped off to Buckinghamshire to stay with a family and their son, who was none too pleased that i was there ( I was 10/11 years old).
My elder sibling was not however sent to the UK, and i believe stayed with family .
There seemed to me to be no explaination nor rhyme or reason as to why i was sent and not both of us, even at such a young age i believe you should be kept in the loop and involved in decision making and discussions, it was not the case then, i only hope it is now.

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6
Realist

January 22, 2013 at 4:17 pm

£2,376,041 for thirty one children works out at £76,646 per child.

How much would it cost to hire a few local foster carers – bet there would be plenty of people on-Island who would be happy to do the job for that sort of money.

I appreciate that foster carers are more motivated by a desire to help children than for the money – nevertheless a financial incentive might help persuade some to take the plunge.

This would maintain links with friends and family in Guernsey and must surely be less disruptive for these poor kids?

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