PLEAS UNHEEDED, SAY 'AT RISK' GIRL'S PARENTS

It was a simple request made to Child, Youth and
Family Services: "Please help our 14-year-old daughter
overcome her drug and alcohol problem."

But the department has done nothing to get the Wellington girl help
for her problem despite months of meetings, her parents say.

CYF will not answer questions about the girl, citing privacy
reasons.

Her mother, Sharon, (not her real name), said she bluntly told CYF in
November her daughter was a risk to herself. An official at her
daughter's school shared her concerns, she said.

CYF had promised to have her daughter's drug and alcohol problem
assessed and said it would look at general counselling for her.

Sharon believes her daughter's drug and alcohol problem was assessed
by a social worker in February and she had been categorised as "high
risk".

But CYF did not help her overcome her problem or arrange any type of
counselling.

"I have told CYF time and time again that her drug and alcohol problem
needs to be addressed," she said.

Sharon and former partner Shaun (not his real name) shared custody of
their daughter. She often fled both homes.

The girl was placed in a 28-day care arrangement with CYF about two
months ago but ran away. CYF did nothing to deal with her drug and
alcohol problem.

Sharon said the woman caregiver was nice but a solo parent who was
working, so her daughter was "in the same situation she was in at my
house".

Shaun said CYF did not monitor his daughter while she was in its care.
It had virtually no contact with her caregiver.

His daughter was no better when she came out of the woman's care. She
ran away as soon as she returned to him.

She has again been put in CYF care.

Despite the girl admitting to her former caregiver that she needed
help for drug and alcohol abuse, CYF had done nothing to get it for
her, Shaun said. "I want them to put her somewhere she can get help
for her drug and alcohol problem - if I can get that I will get my
daughter back," he said.

CYF would not comment about its involvement with her, to protect her
privacy - despite Shaun giving written permission.

Its regional manager, upper south, Helen Aiken, said providing drug
and alcohol programmes for young people was not the department's role.

But it could identify their needs and help them through assessment,
attending a programme, and later support.

When it established a young person had drug and alcohol issues, a
specialist agency assessed them so CYF could identify the person's
needs. It could then make a referral to a relevant organisation, but
could not force young people to have treatment.

Odyssey House in Auckland was the main agency CYF used for youngsters
with drug and alcohol problems. Its services were in high demand but
generally young people did not have to wait for placement.

CYF also used Rongo Atea in Hamilton. Other agencies were not stopped
from offering help for drug and alcohol problems to young people in
CYF care, Ms Aiken said.