Over the 'silly' season when stress is at its worst, we had people being pushed beyond their limits, little ones not knowing where they were going to wake up and service areas closed for the "break". We get no break, our job is 24/7, we get no legal assistance, the biological parents get legal aide without having to meet any of the requirements set down by the child safety authority. Do drug tests -refuse to, do parenting courses -don't have to, do anger management courses - why I don't have a problem, it doesn't matter, they get legal aide and we go bankrupt trying to secure a safe future for the little ones. Yes, many of us access our superannuation or get loans to pay the associated court costs, with the biological parents fighting us all the way because it costs them NOTHING! People don't realise that these children (usually) don't come to us because their parents have made one or two mistakes, or because we have 'stolen them' in the belief that we want a baby but are too old to have one naturally. These parents have made multiple horrendous mistakes and continue to do so over a period of years. They have chosen drugs over their childrens' welfare and basic needs, they have mental health issues which prevent them from providing a safe environment, or they have chosen to live a life not conducive to the well being of an infant. Many children are returned to such an environment because apparently being a parent is a 'right'! WELL NO!!! it is not. It is a gift and if you cannot love nurture and respect that gift then you should not have that gift. And these people keep breeding, they lose 1 child they have another which is removed and another and some carers have 5 or 6 children to raise and finance and fight to keep safe. But because the parental "rights" the carers are the ones who must jump through hoops, conveying said children to re unification meetings, sometimes on a weekly basis. Could you do that when you know that the parent is financing a drug habit, or blowing their money on gambling, drinking etc... There is no easy answer, we are only asking for fairness and equality, take our needs and feelings into account. We are raising these children with our money because of circumstances out side of our control. Yes they are our children who have stuffed up, but as adults they make their own decisions. They have come from good homes, been taught respect and morals and value. But drugs and mental health do not discriminate, they attack and they change a person into strangers, and it could happen to you! In fact the way society is going it probably WILL happen to you. By signing this petition by the time it DOES happen to you, there hopefully will be more help, more respect and more understanding available to you. Please continue to share, we will no longer be part of a silent epidemic, helps us to have our voice heard.