The rights of the Child 

The discussion paper on the development of the Christian Democratic Party’s policy concerning the Rights of the Child

The Christian Democratic Party policy on children covers the period commencing with pre conception and continues into adulthood

1. All children have a right to a mother and a father and therefore we support policies that will strengthen marriage between one man and one woman to establish a stable family into which a child will be welcomed.
2. We support policies that would only encourage sexual intimacy between married couples and those couples consisting of one man and one woman.
3. The unborn child has rights as outlined in the Christian Democratic Party’s policy on the rights of the unborn child
4. We support medical intervention in the process of fertilization (IVF) for married couples, being a man and a woman, unable to have children by natural means.
5. We support married couples, being a man and a woman, adopting children and would make the process more streamline.
6. All children must be afforded food, shelter, security, education and safety. If family is unable to supply this sufficiently well enough then the Government must supply or direct an agency to supply what is deficient, however if the family unit is sufficiently dysfunctional that the delivery of these services is impossible or counterproductive the government may remove the child from the family for a time and have the matter reassessed at a future date. Where possible the government through its agencies, or contracted agencies, will try to retrain and support the family to become more functional so the children can be returned to the family.
7. Children removed from families will be placed in foster homes where the total care of the children will be most important and an assessment will be made so that recovery from the intervention can be assured to the best of our abilities. As the whole family recovers the children will be re introduced to their own family and to receive support as required as they are re integrated into their family.
8. Children put up for adoption will be placed as soon as possible with married couples (being a man and a woman) so as to give the child the best optimal family environment possible.
9. The state will supply high quality education to all children through adequately funded government schools, non government schools and support for parents who choose to home school.

10.  Children with special needs should receive targeted support in the areas of their education, transport, personal care and respite care to enable their carers to have a break from all their pressures.

11.  The training of children should be primarily their parents concern with the support of the school system, though if assistance is needed the school system will refer to helping agencies.

12.  Parents have a right to discipline their children without physical or mental abuse.

13.  Education should be made readily available for parents and prospective parents to minimise family breakdown and to ensure discipline is metered to children appropriately by funding non government agencies skilled in this area.

14.  Child healthcare is imperative to becoming productive citizens and so health services covering nutrition, mental health, general health, dental health, and preventive health, spiritual and sexual health.

15.  Children will be required to be educated at approved schools or in an approved home school programme until at least 16 years of age. Such education will be appropriate to the child’s skills.

16.  While the Christian Democratic Party supports the definition of the family as being the husband and wife and their children we recognise the fact that family breakdown does happen and to give children the best start in life we will put in place a number of things to support the family to remain together and if this fails we will put in a number of things to assist the broken family.

17.  Financial assistance to receive marriage and family counselling before marriage and during crisis that may arise from time to time. All effort must be made to repair relationships to give stability to the family.

18.  It is unfortunate that some marriages will break down and when that happens the best arrangements for the children will be negotiated.

19.  Support for the family will come from a mixture of Government aid and from the income of the former non custodial partner.

20.  Assistance will be given to repair the personal hurt that will cause future difficulties as required.

21.   Some families face difficulties due to the death of one or both of the parents and the government will render assistance to the surviving members of the family as required producing the best outcome for the children. Some of these outcomes will be single parent family, short term foster care, or adoption for the children

22.  Some children will be born to unmarried parents while this is not ideal Government assistance will be directed to the best outcome for the children. Some of these outcomes will be a single parent family, short term foster care, or adoption for the children.