Playcentre Concerned At Loss of PlunketLine

26 April 2006

Playcentre Concerned At Loss of PlunketLine Funding

New Zealand Playcentre Federation (NZPF) has expressed dismay at the news that the PlunketLine service is to have its funding cut. The government has announced its plans to terminate funding for the service and award a new contract to an overseas provider instead.

Playcentre has a strong relationship with Plunket, as the two services provide important assistance to young New Zealand children, and they work well together in developing community networks for families.

"Plunket has a wealth of knowledge and experience about New Zealand families and their needs, developed over the past 100 years," said Mrs. Robynn Kopua, President of the NZPF. "It would be a tragedy if this fantastic service they offer, and the experience they back it up with, were lost to New Zealanders. It is Plunket themselves who had the vision to create PlunketLine, and they have been providing the service at a level well above what they have been funded for."

"If the government is serious about supporting our communities and the families in them, they need to be serious about supporting the organisations working within those communities, not contracting the support out overseas."

Playcentre has been working with families for over 65 years as well, and is very aware of the importance of a service like PlunketLine. "Parenting can be a huge task," Mrs Kopua noted. "Having a reliable, trusted voice to turn to when you're worried about your child makes a huge difference. We fully support Plunket in their bid to keep PlunketLine funded."

ENDS

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