22 February 2011

Welfare proposals right to focus on children - Children’s Commissioner

 
Children’s Commissioner John Angus says he is pleased to see the interests of children given plenty of attention in the Welfare Working Group’s proposals.
 
“Much of what the group has proposed, if implemented with flexibility and always taking account of children’s interests, should result in long-term benefits for New Zealand’s youngest citizens.
 
“But some suggestions have the potential to put the well-being of children at risk. I would urge the government to take a cautious approach to them,” he said.
 
The Commissioner applauds recognition in the report that the welfare system is tied closely to children’s interests and should operate to improve their well-being. He strongly supports the recommendation that proposed changes to the system should always be assessed against the likely impact on children, and their actual impact constantly monitored and reported on.
 
“I’m positive about the emphasis on flexible support for parents on a benefit. I think a transition payment that supports parents into work is a good idea and is a good investment of taxpayers’ dollars,” he said.
 
“The suggestion that access to child care be improved is another positive. Supporting parents into paid work will require a reduction in cost and an increase in the flexibility of child care provision. I’d accept there is room to better target funding of child care to those on lower incomes
 
“The Welfare Working Group makes some suggestions about taking a hard-line with parents on benefits who don’t care for their children well. There are some complications in this - including treating people differently on the basis of their source of income. I am also not sure that income management will solve issues of truancy. Going further to cut benefits could in fact make things worse for children.
 
“I would also suggest that government thinks very hard before adopting the proposal to require sole parents who have another child while on a benefit to look for and take up paid work when their new child is 14 weeks old.
 
“It would be in the best interests of that child if the parent was supported to look after that baby well while at home, instead of searching for work at such an important time in the child’s life.
 
“Government policies need to support parents of very young infants to spend longer than 14 weeks at home with their child, regardless of whether they are on a benefit or not.
 
Ends.

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