"Once a child has gotten a place here, they're here for good. Their home lives are wrecked by poor living conditions, suicide and alcohol abuse - and the parents almost never manage to get their lives back on track. Unfortunately, we're seeing family problems worsen here - many children have been the victims of severe neglect by the time they come to us," said Hans Wiechmann. The Greenlandic Teachers' Association, PIP, has also sounded a warning. PIP chairwoman Kaaliina Skifte told Ritzau news bureau that the current problems weren't just due to a shortage of accredited institutions for children - but the absence of a cohesive family policy as well. "The Greenlandic government has been busy spending money on everything but children. When you come to Greenland, you see an attractive airport and shiny new buildings, but it doesn't take long before the cracks start to show. What good is it for things to look nice on the surface, when so many people are ruined inside?" said Skifte. Greenland's cabinet minister in charge of family and health affairs, Asii Chemnitz Narup, acknowledged that Greenland - and especially the capital city, Nuuk - had major social problems to address. "It's tragic that so many children are in need of emergency foster care. And a large part of the problem has to do with drinking," said Narup. Later this fall, Narup will present a comprehensive social welfare plan that will secure more daycare seats and training for council social workers through 2009. But Narup has blankly refused to remove more children from parental custody. "We cannot build a society by removing children from their homes whenever problems arise. It's an anti-family approach - the councils should do early interventions instead, to help families become self-sufficient. And that will only happen by increasing efforts at the council level," said Narup.
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