Agencies To Work Together To Save Children

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AGENCIES TO WORK TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME TO SAVE CHILDREN

Recognising that children must be safe in this country, Save the Children New Zealand and the Women’s Refuge have announced that they will work together to help break the cycle of child abuse.

Save the Children will fund a project worker to enhance the training of refuge volunteers and staff to ensure that at-risk children are identified, and given the support and care they need.

Women’s Refuge is well placed to reach at-risk children. Last year alone Women’s Refuge accommodated more than 10,000 children, as part of their work with women experiencing violence in the home. Many of these children have witnessed or experienced violence and/or abuse.

A proportion of money raised by Save the Children’s Annual Appeal (3 – 9 October) will go towards funding this innovative programme.

“As a professional, child-focussed agency, we are delighted to be working with NCIWR. This initiative is particularly timely given heightened public concern for the victims of child abuse.”

“As always direct action, practical solutions and the needs of children are at the heart of our project support decisions. Children have the right to be respected, and to have hope for the future. The key elements of this initiative closely match our philosophy in terms of being child focussed, community-based and sustainable through training,” said John Bowis, Executive Director of Save the Children New Zealand.

Merepeka Raukawa-Tait, Chief Executive of Women’s Refuge emphasised that the joint initiative was solution based:

“The project worker will enhance the current training of refuge staff and volunteers to ensure that children’s welfare is paramount, and to ensure that at-risk children are identified. Children must have access to the best available services.”

In the first year the project worker will train many of the Collective’s 444 volunteers and 152 staff. Save the Children have agreed to provide more than $150,000 over the next two years for this initiative.

Practical steps include:
 Continued and enhanced training in the identification of at-risk children
 the creation of an inter-agency template for all 51 refuges to monitor children’s access to appropriate services
 the provision of a case management protocol and written manual for each refuge
 the training of designated refuge advocates in child advocacy

The initiative was announced today at the press briefing held by John Bowis and Merepeka Raukawa-Tait.

Ends 28 September 2000

Please contact Ashlyn Hayes on 04 3817573 for accompanying photography.

For FURTHER INFORMATION please contact:

SAVE THE CHILDREN

John Bowis Executive Director
Phone 04 385 6847
Afterhours 04 569 6911/ 021 656 320
Fax 04 385 6793
E-mail info@scfnz.org.nz

Ashlyn Hayes Communications and Education Co-ordinator
Phone 04 3817573
Afterhours 04 385 6028/ 021 1376694
Fax 04 385 6793
E-mail ashlyn.hayes@scfnz.org.nz

www.savethechildren.org.nz

THE NATIONAL COLLECTIVE OF INDEPENDENT WOMEN’S REFUGES

Merepeka Raukawa-Tait Chief Executive
Phone 04 802 5078
Fax 04 802 5079
E-mail merepeka@refuge.org.nz

Idiana Day Policy and Research Advisor (Maori)
Phone 04 802 5078
Fax 04 802 5079
E-mail idiana@refuge.org.nz

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