Saturday, April 30, 2011

Birthright get it wrong

Stuff has picked up on a report released by the OECD mid-week. I subscribe to OECD social statistics releases and scrolled through the report it but it is typically full of out-of-date information.

The writer of the piece fails to say her headline statistic is from 2007. But strangely does date recent information. But here's what gets me frustrated;

Birthright national manager John Donaghy said there were about 219,000 single-parent families in New Zealand, most of whom were middle-aged.

"Unfortunately there are many people who basically poke at the 18-year-old person on the DPB who is seen as a weight on the rest of society, but actually they're a minority."

In March, 46 per cent of single parents were aged 25 to 39, and 20 per cent were aged 18 to 24.


How many times do I have to point out that teenage parents age. They stay dependent and they stay single. Hence we find that there is a spread of single parents across all agebands. The fact remains that up to a half began life as a single parent, usually on the DPB, as a teenager. That is why I bang on, or "poke at" that particular group.

Birthright are apologists for a serious problem that won't be resolved as long as they fail to understand it. As a volunteer I once attended a meeting between a seriously inadequate teenage mother and one of their social workers. The social worker, a pleasant enough young woman, was going through the motions - counsel, make a next-visit appointment and bugger off - whereas I was getting stuck into the filthy surroundings, showing the mother how to look after herself and her once-was-perfectly-nice home. (Another battle I eventually lost even though I won the girls trust. The usual happened. Rent arrears piled up and she disappeared.)

I am sure Birthright serves some purpose but politically they are aggravating the problem they were born out of.

4 comments:

CB said...

I see from that item that that women decided to home school her children so gave up her job - lucky for her we taxpayers are here to help isn't it!

And the women has to gall to moan that it doesn't pay enough.

It was initially set up to help women get away from violent partners - now it is a choice.

I am so angry!!!

Anonymous said...

Why didn't the writer give us numbers rather than giving us percentages and ratios which do not give a true picture of the situation? If the writer hadn't been so evasive he would have written how many children from DPB homes are living in 'poverty'.
If the writer had given us this figure the article would have had more impact. I estimate it's about half of the children from DPB homes. Maybe if teenagers were more aware of this they would be looking for a way to make a better life for themselves instead of turning to the DPB.

Gloria

Lucy said...

I did a year long contract with birthright and I never figured out what they did so you dont have a hope in hell Lindsay.

Anonymous said...

Lindsay
What percentage of teen mothers go on to have 2 or 3 children while staying on the DBB?