English: I thank the Welsh Conservatives for tabling this important debate. Sadly, the number of children taken into care has doubled in the past 20 years. And, while the needs and safety of the child must always be the only priority, we must do all that we can to reduce the number of children taken into care. Because, as the Welsh Conservatives' motion rightly points out, the life chances of looked-after children and care leavers are significantly poorer than those of children who are not in care. I also agree with Plaid Cymru that setting superficial targets is not the answer. We have to take strong positive steps to prevent children being taken into care in the first place; take steps to ensure that we have a well-resourced and supported foster care network for short-term care needs; and make adoption much easier for adoptive parents. And I'd like to comment on the opening speech of Janet Finch-Saunders, where she said about the transition from a foster parent into adopting. I can relate to that through a constituent who told me of his experience. They had one biological child and wanted another. It wasn't possible, so they adopted another little child, for company as well as being much loved. The little child showed signs of mental health issues early on, but the support network wasn't there, and to this day, the family of this little girl have struggled, really, to cope. So, because help was not forthcoming in the very early stages, the whole family now has been traumatised because the deterioration of the mental health has impacted on the life of the family, and it is an ongoing -
Welsh: Diolch i'r Ceidwadwyr Cymreig am gyflwyno'r ddadl bwysig hon. Yn anffodus, mae nifer y plant sy'n cael eu rhoi mewn gofal wedi dyblu yn yr 20 mlynedd diwethaf. Ac er bod yn rhaid i anghenion a diogelwch y plentyn fod yn unig flaenoriaeth bob amser, rhaid inni wneud popeth a allwn i leihau nifer y plant sy'n cael eu rhoi mewn gofal. Oherwydd, fel y mae cynnig y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig yn ei nodi'n gywir, mae cyfleoedd bywyd plant sy'n derbyn gofal a'r rhai sy'n gadael gofal yn sylweddol waeth na chyfleoedd bywyd plant nad ydynt mewn gofal. Rwyf hefyd yn cytuno â Phlaid Cymru nad gosod targedau arwynebol yw'r ateb. Mae'n rhaid inni roi camau cadarnhaol cryf ar waith i atal plant rhag cael eu rhoi mewn gofal yn y lle cyntaf; rhoi camau ar waith i sicrhau bod gennym rwydwaith gofal maeth â chymorth da ac sydd â'r adnoddau priodol ar gyfer anghenion gofal tymor byr; a gwneud mabwysiadu'n llawer haws i rieni sy'n mabwysiadu. A hoffwn wneud sylwadau ar araith agoriadol Janet Finch-Saunders, lle dywedodd am y newid o fod yn rhiant maeth i fabwysiadu. Gallaf uniaethu â hynny drwy etholwr a ddywedodd wrthyf am eu profiad hwy. Roedd ganddynt un plentyn biolegol ac roeddent yn awyddus i gael plentyn arall. Nid oedd yn bosibl, felly fe wnaethant fabwysiadu plentyn bach arall, yn gwmni yn ogystal ag i'w garu'n fawr. Dangosodd y plentyn bach arwyddion fod ganddi broblemau iechyd meddwl yn gynnar, ond nid oedd y rhwydwaith cymorth yno, a hyd heddiw, mae teulu'r ferch fach wedi ei chael hi'n anodd ymdopi mewn gwirionedd. Felly, gan nad oedd cymorth ar gael yn ystod y camau cynnar iawn, mae'r teulu cyfan bellach wedi dioddef trawma oherwydd bod dirywiad yn iechyd meddwl y plentyn wedi effeithio ar fywyd y teulu, ac mae'n parhau -