Money Matters

 

He had a first floor room -  not in the dormitory proper, but a small single bed room. It was because as an intellectually challenged late teen, just about ready to  leave school for a trade centre, he found the big group dynamics to be way beyond his social coping.

The unexpected was discovered. He had fitted his outside window frame with razor wire and wouldn't say why.

Eventually we got there.

He was was afraid;  protecting his pocket-money from robbery by his bigger stronger brothers who were in another dormitory building.

     "But you're on the first floor. How do they get in ?"

      "At night they climb the drain-pipe and open my window. They take my money. They say they will beat me up if I tell ."  

We moved him to a burglar guarded room little room next to the child and youth care worker's room.

The weak exploited by the strong.

 A matter of money.

He wasn't  the only one.

There was a small group if big, stronger boys who I called the 'big boot boys', the "mafia group. They were up to all kinds of tricks amounting to intimidation, extortion and getting others to steal for them.

For some of the younger boys, they acted as protective big brothers in return for 'safety money' or skivvying .

 All of this was masked, hidden, by the dynamics of the very large      group dormitory setting.

 No-one knows, no-one tells, the safety and fear of an anonymous, faceless, gang-like loyalty.

Moving into the small group home setting put an end to this.

No longer able to hide in and behind a big group, money matters for child and youth care workers shifted to finding ways of making money matters a matter growth and life-time learning.

Child and youth care facilities had to comply with professional approaches and practices with children, youth and money-learning within the limitations and negatives arising From 'welfare' organisational financing - a tap dance around funding verses professional child and youth are educare practice.; to tap-dance around the public attitude and thinking about welfare and the 'life-long world views of children in care.  

There is, out there a public I called 'well intentioned do-gooders' who really do more harm than good.

All too often, in comes a stream of cardboard boxes or black trash bags filled with donations; outgrown, worn, even broken, toys, clothing shoes, games and puzzles.

The organisation sends a gratitudinal letter of thanks and appreciation..

How do you say "No! we need non-perishable food . We need money, not hand- me-downs

Best practice organisational models have learnt how to turn hand-me downs into money. They have opened charity shops, jumble sales and morning markets all income to the child and youth care centre. They try as well as they can to discreetly and diplomatically to expose the public and donors to the the way money matters in child and youth care educare practice operates in their centres- how the avoidance of 'learned dependence', handouts and hand-me downs empowers and develops children for life.

It's the give a person a fish verses teach them how to fish mantra.

The first child and youth care money- learning educare practice tackled was 'unlearning learned independence'  - "the world owes me, so I expect to be supplied by others" We had to shift from a hand=out world view to a learning of money value, saving budgeting; how money is earned and not handed out.

To be honest, at that time, I sometimes thought, undoubtedly unfairly, that it was as much of a learning curve in child and youth care practice as it was for the children. 

Each house was given a budget. Children helped draw up a shopping list and went shopping with the child and youth care worker. Clothing allowances replaced handouts. A policy of  'when it is finished, it is finished' was established. Treats and outings were highly regulated.

 Good money matter exposure in preparation for life was a child and youth care work educare essential.

 It's what we do.