The special edition of eNews released earlier this week and the linked blog about the State Government’s announcement of a funding boost to Next Steps Plus and the launch of the Queensland Home Stretch Campaign is continuing to attract a flood of comments in response to the blog.
PeakCare welcomes the discussion and debate that the blog has generated. The best policies and programs almost always result from a wide cross-section of views being collected and considered, especially when the discussion privileges the voices of those most directly impacted by the decisions that are to be made. Grabbing at solutions to a problem without thoroughly exploring, analyzing and defining the problem rarely produce the best answers.
Your opinions, your practice wisdom and own experience add to the richness and depth of the dialogue and the analysis that underpins sound policy and program development. Whether your contribution takes the form of strongly advocating a particular position or is expressed as a reservation or concern, it all counts towards making sure that nothing is being overlooked and helps to avoid incorrect assumptions being made. Raising your voices allows decision-makers to gauge the strength of opinion held by our sector about certain matters. It makes it apparent where there is strong unity in the opinions that we hold as well as where there may be divergent views that simply, but very importantly, indicate the need for more research and debate.
In most instances, there is strong agreement held within our sector about the outcomes we are seeking for children, young people and families – as is certainly the case when it comes to the need for more concerted efforts in supporting the transition of young people into adulthood well beyond the age of 19. Where there may be areas of disagreement, they chiefly concern the best means of achieving the outcomes we are seeking or the sufficiency of the responses that are being provided or intended. Read the comments that have been entered in response to the blog so far, then add your own – anonymously if you prefer – and play your part in contributing to this important dialogue.