Australian Parent
Support Network
Welcome to the Australian Parent Support Network.
IN AN EMERGENCY CALL 24 HOURS
NSW telephone number is
04 3380 4177. (Updated 1 January 2007)
SA Telephone number is 08 (not Available).
(Updated November 1998)
Just ask for the Parent Support Network.Don't be afraid to call. We had our child stolen and spent a very long night crying too.
5 July 2007 Phone call from critical case in Toowoomba QLD re unlawful removal of two children aged 11 weeks and 22 months, with a mix of several people who are known to older children and have been charged with child abduction even though they had no physical contact with the child, and the child had run away from the custodial parent.
4 July 2007 Sydney family called. 8 month old child under DoCS investigation. OUTCOME is interesting. DoCS told the mother that they are trying to change the public perception of DoCS after years of errors. DoCS were apparently really nice and want to help, and recognise that the parents are not the cause of the child's issues, and that the parents will be supported in finding the cause.
23 June 2007 - Another Support Case in QLD called in on the weekend. Details will be provided shortly. After conversations with the parents and other authorities, QLD DOCS will have more than eggs on it's face this time. (sigh) When will they learn that 19 year olds don't make good Child protection officers. And to think, Suzanne and Adam were accused in 1998 of "reading parenting books" where does a 19 year old without a child get parenting skills? Hmmm.
May 2007 - Getting Hundreds of calls from Queensland this year. There seems to be an epedemic systemic problem within the Department of Child Safety run by Robin Sullivan. Calls seem to be coming from three Service Centre exclusively and the same names are popping up all the time. There are either a lot abused children, although this doesn't seem to follow, or the staff in these centres are overzealous and out of control. I tend to think the latter based on my experience and the fact that most of the parents calling tell me that the Child Safety Officers concerned and young and have no children of their own.
Do we have an Authority problem in Queensland? A whole stack of children who hate their parents now going out to save babies and young children as a means to rectify their own short comings? It's starting to look that way.
As with the Police service, many people go into policing for the purpose of exerting authority, some go in because they want to make a difference and help people.
Those in the latter group tend to be the ones that suicide in the Police Station (three in Sydney in the last 12 months) or those that can't handle the abuse of process, abuse of innocent people and the constantly reported "making false charges."
Child Protection in NSW and QLD seem to be much on the same line, except many of these Child Safety Officers seem to target children instead. Maybe there is a psychology in play here that needs to be investigated prior to employing young people who have no child rearing experience in roles that literally traumatise parents and the lives of so many families. We have enough hassle with Divorce using kids as pawns, lets not turn Child Protection into a game of chess either.
If Child Safety were to pro-actively work in the right manner, then children wouldn't be murdered by their parents, like on the NSW Coast this week (Mother killed her kids and herself around Coffs Harbour, father is still trying to be located. DUH!!)
Queensland Child Safety Crisis
January 2007 - A 13 month old child has been taken from his parents on 22 December 2006 on allegations that the Child is in need of assessment to determine if the child is a child in need of care.
The Child's parents are Vegan. Rhiannon Skidmore, Child Safety Officer for Redcliffe Child Safety Office in Brisbane swears in a Statement dated 22 December 2006 that the parents were not willing to seek medical advice for their child.
Parents presented the child to Redcliffe Hospital on 15 December 2006 to a Doctor Rogers who took blood tests. The parents were not made aware of the result of the blood test.
Parents then presented the child to Redcliffe Hospital again in 21 December under treat of removal. The Hospital Discharged the child at 9 AM the next day.
On 21 December at about 12 p.m. the parents then presented the child to a private doctor who obtained the results of the blood tests and admissions. There was nothing concerning in the blood tests. The Doctor complimented the family on their care and the wellbeing of the child.
None the less Skidmore has sworn in the Application for a Court Assessment order that the child is likely to suffer irreversible brain damage, according to her information from Doctor David Rogers, who saw the child 6 days earlier on 15 December 2006.
The child is now in care and proceedings are ramping at an incredible rate. This appears to be consistent with a new policy within the Department of Child Safety that "If in Doubt Remove the Child"
Rhiannon Skidmore graduated University of QLD at the end of 2005 and was employed by Redcliffe Child Safety under David Bradford. David Bradford is a lecturer in Child Safety at QLD.
Rhianon has no children and accordingly has never had to care daily for a baby, yet along a grown person other than herself.
Shaken Baby Case Reported at Sydney Royal North Shore Hospital
29 Jul 2000 - A 5 month old child was taken into DoCS custody after being rushed to Hospital 24 hours after receiving a Vaccination in Sydney. The Parents are under siege and are criminal suspects. Court hearings will be 21 and 22 Aogust 2000.
For more details contact APSN if you can help.
APSN announces NANNY WATCH on 2GB 3/Feb/98
Mr. Todd of the APSN spoke with Mike Gibson on 2GB today announcing the NANNY WATCH service for parents who have had or are considering employing a Nanny to look after their children. Mr. Todd explain to Mike that sometimes the problems between Parents and Nanny's is more an issue of communications that possible harm but did agree that it was fair to say there are frequently more problems reported than praise. Mr. Todd said it is very important that the Nanny be very open and honest with parents as this is often where breakdowns occur.
APSN Supporting NSW Families
1 February 1999: APSN now has several families being offered assistance in DoCS matters. These matters vary from DoCS intervention without request to parents contacting DoCS begging for help to protect their young children from known Child Sexual Abuse concerns. These families are being guided and assisted presently.
APSN will attend meetings or interviews with families involved with DoCS or Police investigations.
ABOUT APSN
This is a brand new site and brand new service. It needs a lot of help from people who care and have concerns about Parenting, Child Abuse, False claims against Parents, Legal support and I'm sure there is more.
Anyone can help or join APSN. It's not just about DoCS false claims, that just happens to be the current focus. It's about anything to do with parenting and where to get help and support if you need it. We also hope APSN members will hold regular family events and help build up the strength of family relationships. Something greatly lacking in today's society. Picnic days that help lower income families reduce the costs of taking the children out. Easy to organise. They just need someone to suggest a venue - and turn up.
It also needs your help. We need researchers, reporters, web developers and support. We're not asking for money, although it won't go astray in helping develop a 1800 national number for volunteers to man.
Much information will be presented in each section of this web site over the coming weeks. There will be sections for Parent and Children Stories, areas you can post please for help, reports from courts and more importantly the legislation for each state relating to Child Protection and the policies by which the Departments of those states operate.
This will help you learn your rights as a parent and hopefully avoid you becoming a victim as we did. You can read our story and see the video of Police smashing down doors, assaulting a babies Daddy and ripping the baby from his mothers arms. Yes video. We were lucky.
WHO IS APSN
APSN is currently a small handful of parents who have experienced the pain of false allegations made under Child Protection Laws.
This Web Site is sponsored by Adam and Suzanne Todd who had their child stolen on 21 September 1998. Recording the even on Video Tape. The story is complex - at least from the Police and DoCS side. The Police smashed down the front door to the family home, assaulted the father and watched the child - perfectly health and not neglected and abused in any way taken from Suzanne. DoCS didn't have a medical officer for an examination and returned the baby to the parents 30 minutes later - the time it takes to drive from the Todd family home to the DoCS office.
Currently the Web Site of also being developed by Adam Todd. Some other great people (new parents too!) are helping develop the site for your reading pleasure. Hopefully all the people who help build the site won't have their own story to tell.
APSN also has the Robertson family from South Australia as strong supporters. The Robertson's are developing APSN in Adelaide and the Web Site. They also have a story to tell, they didn't get their child back in 30 minutes.
STATE SPECIFIC SERVICES
Sections for each state will be coming soon. Please be patient. If you need urgent help contact us any time 24 hours a day seven days a week.
IN AN EMERGENCY
NSW telephone number is 02 8825 6102.
SA telephone number is 08 8358 6281.
Just ask for the Parent Support Network.Don't be afraid to call. We had our child stolen and spent a very long night crying too.
Other numbers for other states will be provided shortly. (After permission is granted.)
VOLUNTEER PHONE SUPPORTERS
If you would like to volunteer to help and you have been a victim, please contact me via feedback or telephone.
OTHER SECTIONS
Other sections include:
- The worlds largest single resource of Breast Feeding information and links!
- Your Story - a section devoted to indexing all stories received about families and their trauma. A one stop shop to find stories like your own and post your own.
- Children - a section devoted by parents to their children. To contain photos you upload yourself (or have Parent.INOZ scan them for you) and an events log where you can post regular updates about your child's progress in life. Could be used to help other parents understand medical and difficult child problems.
- State Information Services - where to go in your state.
- Call Us - who to call when they arrive at your home unexpectedly.
- Mail lists - email lists for people discussing specific topics.
- Web Chatter - a series of online posting rooms where you can share your experience and advice with others.
- Legal Centre - where to get quick legal help, or hope to to do it yourself.
- and more ...
Copyright (C) 1997 A
& S .Todd, Todd Corporation Pty Limited
Phone +61 2 8825 6102 Fax +61 2 8825 6199
PO Box 174, Roseville NSW 2069, Australia