Building A Continuum Of Care For Children, Young People And Families

The first of Child, Youth and Family’s three-day Future Search conferences aimed at improving co-operation with communities gets underway in Palmerston North today.

The conferences will also be held in Christchurch (12-14 November), Auckland (29 November-1 December) and Hamilton ( 3-5 December). The gatherings – open to invited social services providers, Iwi, local bodies and local representatives of Government social services agencies – are part of CYF’s New Directions strategy aimed at making significant improvements in services to at-risk children.

Opening the Palmerston North conference at Massey University College of Education’s Hokowhitu campus, Social Services and Employment Minister Steve Maharey said the Government wants to build strong alliances with community providers for children, young people and families.

“Judge Mick Brown’s report into Child, Youth and Family and the work of the Voluntary Sector Working Party have stressed that CYF needs to improve the way it works with community-based providers.

“In the CYF New Directions strategy, the department committed to inviting its community partners to a series of conferences around the country to exchange ideas on how to improve the way we work together.

“The common goal that the Government, community providers and CYF share is to improve outcomes for at-risk children, young people and families. This shared purpose provides the impetus to define and plan for the changes needed in the way CYF and communities work together.

“Ultimately, Child, Youth and Family, other state agencies and community organisations can’t solve the problems of abuse and neglect by themselves. We need all New Zealanders to take responsibility for that,” Steve Maharey said.

Once the conferences are finished, a report on the ideas exchanged will be prepared for Mr Maharey to consider.

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