Today marks Children’s Day / Te Rā o Ngā Tamariki and the Minister for Children, Kelvin Davis is asking all New Zealanders to think about their responsibility to support the lives of the tamariki in their communities and to make this a special day for celebrating them.

Children’s Day / Te Rā o Ngā Tamariki is a day of national awareness that aims to make all children in the country feel appreciated, held on the first Sunday of March each year.

“Te Rā o Ngā Tamariki is all about everyone putting in the effort to make tamariki realise they are special, they are loved, they are important,” Kelvin Davis said.

“It’s something all of us should be doing every day.

“But the reality is not every parent, grandparent or guardian in the country always has the time to drop everything else and really focus on the children.

“That is what this day is about – l would love every child in the country to feel like it is their birthday today – to feel appreciated, supported and loved for who they are,” Kelvin Davis said.

Kelvin Davis was due to attend the Horowhenua Children’s Day event today, which has now been cancelled due to COVID-19.

“Horowhenua’s Children’s Day events are legendary and amongst the best in the country. Unfortunately, this year’s event and many others around the country have been cancelled due to COVID-19. However, I still want to acknowledge all the efforts of councils, iwi organisations, NGOs, libraries, early childhood centres, schools, churches and other community groups who make these events possible each year, and I look forward to attending a Children’s Day celebration in 2022,” Kelvin Davis said.

Kelvin Davis said the Government had placed child wellbeing at the heart of its work and was making good progress, despite the disruptions caused by COVID-19.

“The vision set out in our Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy is for New Zealand to be the best place in the world for children and young people. There is much more to do, but our plan to get there is making a difference. What’s important is that we keep making progress on improving the wellbeing of children,” Kelvin Davis said.

“But Government alone cannot ensure our children get the support, love and attention they deserve.

“We have all got a role to play in ensuring tamariki all around New Zealand are happy, safe and thriving, so it is great that we have days like this to bring families together and remind each other about our country’s most important taonga,” Kelvin Davis said.

© Scoop Media