skint channel 4

[thekidsrule]

anybody else watching

[SgtTJCalhoun]

Forced adoption is NOT breaking the cycle. Not for Jamelia as its quite likely she will continue to have more children who in turn will be taken into care. Doing the hard bit now would have enabled her to keep this child and be a good parent to her future children. She's already on the right path, her own flat, bollocking that woman for her drug use, looking smart for court and knowing the reasons why she should. She is far from a hopeless case.

[PostBellumBugsy]

Good money in intellectual property. We've just paid for some work done on that with regard to internet ownership.

The work I do is connected with young people & I was expecting to see more severe poverty on Skint too. We have young people who sleep with all their belongings in a plastic bag wrapped around their wrist at night, so their parents/housesharers can't nick the stuff & hock it for drugs. We took one lad out to primark to get him a change of clothes, as he literally only had what he was wearing to his name. I think 16-18 year olds can really fall between the net, as they are old enough for hard hearted parents to kick out of their homes, but too young to support themselves properly.

[Astley]

SgtTG I totally agree.

I hate the 'better life for the child' line that is often spouted. Having her child adopted will cause Jamelia lifelong harm, it will cause the child life long harm. My mother is adopted, she may have had a 'better' life materially with the adoptive parents but my God is she deeply, deeply emotionally damaged by it. I do not believe that adoption is always in the best interest of a child when they have a young parent, you are just 'solving' one short term problem by creating a whole host of different long term ones.

Surely the better option is to give her all the support she needs to raise her own child, who will have the love and support of her Mother and so will not make her mistakes...that is breaking the cycle.

[PostBellumBugsy]

Hold on a sec. I'm adopted and I don't think I've been harmed life long by it! I know other adopted people who live happy lives and are loved by their adoptive parents and don't feel emotionally scared by something that happened when they were babies.

[dufflefluffle]

What was heartbreaking was that Jamelia had standards. Even though she was a kid and too young to be responsible for herself she objected to the drug use, she expected her (useless) bf to stand up for their dd and she got dressed up to make a good impression. I really hope she gets a break in life - soon. And learns to choose a better man next time too!

[Yolu]

I just thought it was really really sad, that poor 16 year old obviously needed help and wanted out of that life and wanted better.

[sandyballs]

I'm also adopted and certainly not emotionally scarred. I'm sure I would be though if I'd grown up in a doss house like jamelia was living in.

[Vivacia]

I appreciate that adoption doesn't guarantee a safe and happy childhood, but it's better odds than the lifestyle Jamelia was living.

[SgtTJCalhoun]

You're right but how is a 16 year old CHILD ever going to be able to better her situation without help?

[CharlieMumma]

I agree with most as well the 16 year old should never have been dumped out on her own. Why couldn't she be supported with her baby and given a chance. Also broke my heart when she was getting ready for court still full of hope for getting her daughter back. I'm so pleased she's got some where clean and safe just for her so she can get started again on her life! The less said about the 21 yr old idiot the better!

[Vivacia]

A 16 year old young woman in her situation needs, and deserves, help and support. I don't think being a part of that process is in the best interests of the baby though.

Agreed, CM, Jameila's efforts to appear suitable were heart-breaking.

[Astley]

Isn't it? I would have thought its J cold get the help she needed it would be better for her and for her child.

The child will grow up with its Mother, who for all her faults, clearly loved the child. If that is at all possible that must be the ideal.

[SgtTJCalhoun]

It's HER baby. I think people keep forgetting that. No, it's not perfect, not many people's situations are but she wasn't even given a chance. Her situation as shown was not suitable but neither was it suitable for her. She should never have been in that situation. Yes lets take that baby but leave the OTHER child in the situation to rot. There needs to be more resources to help young girls like her. Ffs there is enough of us moaning about feckless young mothers, you'd think with it being SUCH a problem we'd have addressed it and be on our way to solving it by now wouldn't you? But no lets just keep barbarically taking away these young girls babies without actually addressing the route of the problem. It's NOT breaking the cycle it's perpetuating it.

[SgtTJCalhoun]

Root not route

[SgtTJCalhoun]

Root not route

[Vivacia]

I don't know what the answer is STJC, I do know that there's no easy solution otherwise we'd have come up with it by now,

[propertyNIGHTmareBEFOREXMAS]

Agree there is no easy solution.
The 21 year old's mother left her with dad at 12 (said she went to live with another man, I think). Not easy for a little girl to cope with. However the girl was also deluded as to how life works and has no grasp of economics (she seemed to think the Government has a 'money tree') or taking personal responsibility for one's actions (or offspring).
What can we do?
If we stop or vastly reduce her money then innocent children starve. If we remove the children she couldn't afford to have then we become a country with a draconian inhumane leadership. It is no win and I would not be comfortable with either solution.

[NellysKnickers]

What a sad program. Jamelia seems like a lovely young woman, just a bit gobby and in need of some guidance. On the other hand the 21 year old with 5 kids needs to realise its not everyone else's job to provide for her kids, seems they've still got money for fags, full ashtrays everywhere!