Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

Plunket welcomes Govt investment in reducing child poverty

Plunket welcomes Government investment in reducing child poverty

Plunket welcomes the Government’s Families Package as a positive step towards reducing child poverty and giving the welfare of New Zealand tamariki the priority it deserves.

“It is encouraging to see that the Government is taking action in its first 100 days to help make the difference of a lifetime in our tamariki’s first 1000 days,” said Plunket’s Chief Strategy and Performance Officer, Radha Balakrishnan.

Plunket nurses see 9 in 10 babies born in New Zealand, and sees first-hand the impact of poverty and poor housing on young families, with more and more whānau struggling to make ends meet: “The results are poor child health, stressed families and poorer outcomes for children – especially for our Māori and Pacific communities who bear the brunt of this burden on our children,” said Radha Balakrishnan.

The Government says its Families Package will put more money into the pockets of low and middle income kiwi whānau and is projected to lift 88,000 children out of poverty in the next three years. This is a 48 per cent reduction in the number of children living in poverty and provides a strong foundation for creating generational change for the tamariki of New Zealand.

“We welcome Government action to level the playing field, and address the inequity of health and wellbeing outcomes among New Zealand’s tamariki and whānau. We will be looking for further action to tackle systemic issues that are having an unacceptable impact on children’s health,” she said.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

Plunket says the Best Start payment is a particularly important change, helping all families with a newborn by $60 a week in the first year after Paid Parental Leave ends, and for low to middle income families up to age three - providing families with more support during the most critical time of their children’s development.

The Best Start payment will provide universal benefit for tamariki in their first 1000 days and recognises that having a child changes everyone’s circumstances.

Plunket believes that seeing this in conjunction with other significant changes, such as the changes to Working for Families, will result in a positive change for all whānau.

Plunket looks forward to working with government and supporting them as they develop their living standards framework and child poverty reduction policy.

– ENDS –

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines



Gordon Campbell: On Dune 2, And Images Of Islam


Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn.
Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik...
More


 
 


Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track

The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More

ALSO:


Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More

ALSO:

Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.