Are children adequately protected after the breakdown of their parent’s relationship?

[Ian_Nicholas]

Greetings! My name is Ian Nicholas Vendargon. I am currently persuing a South Australian Matriculation pre-unversity programme at Taylor's University College, Malaysia. One of the subjects that I am undertaking is Legal studies (2LGS2).

As part of this course, I am required to undertake a Civic Participation Task that includes conducting an active Civic Participation. I have chosen the issue of 'Are children in Australia adequately protected after the breakdown of their parent's relationship?' I hope that you would be able to give your honest opinions on the questions below;

i. Firstly, do you feel children in Australia are adequately protected after the breakdown of their parent's relationship?

ii. Secondly, after a divorce are the children's regular financial needs made available to them by both their parents?

iii. What are the factors that have to be considered when deciding who is to become the residential parent or with whom the children are to live with?

iv. Do children maintain contact on a regular basis with both their parents and other people concerned with their care, welfare and development after a divorce?

v. Are other matters of parental responsibility, such as issues involving the children's education, health, religion, cultural aspects, holiday arrangements and leisure activities settled after a divorce?

Thank you for your time and co-operation. Your assistance is greatly appreciated.

 

[cbg]

This is primarily a US board. While I suppose it is possible that someone may happen by who has knowledge of Australian family law, I wouldn't count on receiving many answers, if indeed you receive any at all.

 

[grandma_donna]

I have no idea what the situation is in Australia with child custody and welfare issues. However, reading your questions, I notice that no attention was focused on the issue of the child's membership in a whole family. Children seem to be able to adapt well in situations where their parents are unstable if they have grandparents who provide a sense of continuity and stability. Grandparents are a child's lifeline in these situations and are best able to protect the children from brunt emotional trauma while helping to preserve the child's emotional ties with the parents. Grandparents in this country are undervalued and mostly ignored where children's rights to comfort and emotional support are concerned. I hope that isn't the case in your country. I am currently trying to bring the problem to the attention of as many people as I can in my state and in my country so that our children won't continue to suffer further emotional abuse at the hands of the agencies and courts when their parents are struggling with issues that cause the children to be separated from one or both of their parents. Grandparents are a resource that children have a right to. Until the government bureaucracies who have control in these situations recognize this and give these rights back to our children, our families will continue to disintegrate and the values that support our society will continue to disintegrate. http://grandparentsforchange.com