Linda Walton

The 60 Minutes story on Residential care was excellent the reporter was fabulous. At 15 my daughter went through a difficulty time. My older ASD daughter had turned 16 and her abusive father coerced her to go and lie wit her. This contributed to me having a mental health episode for the first time in 50 years. My younger daughter who was a high achiever befriended some Resi kids at Eastland shopping centre meeting them through a girl from school. These Resi kids had access to government money, were using "weed" and ice and introduced my daughter to these substances and took pleasure of posting pictures of her online in terrible states. Of course once my daughter started drug use she spiralled out of control, listened to the resi kids about having access to money and ended in the same situation as them living in Resi over in Reservoir while my daughter grew up in the family home in Wantirna. For me it was a nightmare I had no support and once DHS became involved it went from bad to worse. As the specialist said support for the families is desperately needed. In my case mum was best not a youth worker!