We had the below FGC yesterday. I am still a bit emotionally wrung out from it all. Our 12yo didn't attend - for him this was yesterday's news and his life has gone on to new and more positive things. The husband and I both attended. It was...idk really, many things. https://twitter.com/BexGraham/status/1314663211497451520

I can't discuss specifics obvs, due to confidentiality. So. Some broader observations. The lack of affordable housing for low income families ends up costing the state A LOT OF MONEY. The hourly wage of 8 paid professionals in the room + cost of assessments & referrals = $$$$

No available housing means the state pays for motel accomm, which is both $$$$ and entirely inadequate for families w kids. Bored lonely kids with nowt to do get up to no good and it costs everyone else in time and energy and $$

We aren't very good at picking up learning difficulties in school yet are we? Or ensuring that assessments are affordable and available? Guess who gets left out when we make it so hard to access this sort of thing? Sigh.

The husband and I both left with big feelings for this kid, who's gotten himself into a big mess, who is still so young, whose fam doesn't have someone like me/us with our resources and capacity to insist on things being done better (sorry this is a bit vague, I know).

I/we ended up being the ones in the room saying, ah, this [service] isn't acceptable or timely and its not good enough to delay six months due to "end of year", there's still 7 weeks of term and what you're suggesting isn't appropriate for [specific details], do better pls.

Anyways, its over and done now. It's hard to be mad at a child doing dumb childish things, maybe we're just big giant saps but all we saw was a kid who'd gotten themselves into a big mess and didn't know how to get out again and who needed a whole lot of love and support.