Ministry for kids will encompass all

As the country’s leading social agencies issue a blunt message to the government about doing more for all Kiwi kids, Labour has today reiterated its call for a Ministry for Children.

A UNICEF briefing paper, Thriving, Belonging, Achieving – what will it take, released today, highlights the need for an overall approach to the issues facing New Zealand’s children.

It summarises over 80 submissions to the Government’s Green Paper for Vulnerable Children and identifies key themes which Ardern believes should consequently also appear in the upcoming White Paper.

“The strong message of this briefing paper is that policy makers need to address all of the levers that impact on the lives of children to achieve real change, in particular the effects of poverty,” Jacinda Ardern said.

“As Labour’s Spokesperson for Children I also agree with the premise that the focus should be on all children – not just the so-called ‘vulnerable’ - and for the development of a robust action plan that puts them at the heart of Government policy.

“Prior to last year’s election Labour proposed the formation of the Ministry for Children to encourage this much needed whole of government approach. We stand by that.

“This briefing paper represents the views of a significant part of the sector who are involved at a community level.

‘For the Green Paper process to be truly meaningful I hope that the Minister has heeded those concerns and not narrowed the debate to the detriment of the very people it aims to help.

“We all know investing in kids is the best investment we can make. It’s time to act on that,” said Jacinda Ardern.