Hon Anne Tolley

Minister for Social Development

21 September 2016
Media Statement

Focus will remain on care and protection

Social Development Minister Anne Tolley says that the overhaul of care and protection will stay firmly focused on delivering much better long-term outcomes for children and young people in care or at risk of going into care, despite constant attempts by Labour to undermine and misrepresent it.

“The current system is not working as it should for young people and we are determined to make a real difference and give these kids the lives they deserve. I guarantee we will not be side tracked by petty political point-scoring,” says Mrs Tolley.

“Labour claims it is news that the Ministry for Vulnerable Children, Oranga Tamariki will be focused on keeping kids safe from harm.

“I don’t know where they have been for the past year and a half.

“It has been made crystal clear from day one that we were overhauling care and protection. Work and Income will continue to address welfare issues.

“From April next year the new Ministry will look at the long-term needs of children and young people in the care system, from childhood through to adulthood, focusing on prevention, intensive intervention, care support services, transition support and a youth justice service aimed at preventing offending and reoffending. Budget 2016 invested $347 million to support the initial transformation and for cost pressures.

“This is a huge change from CYF, which is simply responsible for short-term crisis management.

“Significant legislative changes are currently going through Parliament which will raise the age of state care and protection to a young person’s 18th birthday, ensure that children’s voices are heard in decisions which affect them, and which will establish an independent youth advocacy service. Further changes are to be announced.

“For Labour to dismiss this is a rebrand is beyond belief and shows they can’t be bothered to understand the issues or engage in the solutions, even after a personal briefing.
“It also undermines the hard work of the independent expert panel, the Youth Advisory Panel made up of young people with experience of state care, the Maori Reference Group, front line social workers, the Vulnerable Children’s Board, the Practice Reference Group, NGOs and caregivers, who all contributed to the review of CYF and the detailed long-term business case for the new operating model.
“Labour can keep opposing. They can keep obsessing about the name of the Ministry. It’s what the new Ministry does, not what it’s called that will change children’s lives and I’m going to make sure this happens.”

ends

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