Simon Collins: White Paper has missed opportunity to support children, parents
5:30 AM Thursday Oct 11, 2012
The proposed new multi-agency plans for each child, backed by an IT system accessible by all agencies, should have been set up years ago. Photo / Thinkstock
Last year's Green Paper on vulnerable children promised a society where, in the words of its title, "every child thrives, belongs, achieves".
It quoted overseas initiatives such as the United Kingdom's Children Act and Scotland's 10-year Early Years Framework, and proposed a "vulnerable children's action plan".
It targeted services at the youngest children and their parents, and proposed basing social services at preschools, schools and doctors' clinics.
Perhaps, inevitably, the White Paper that followed fails to reach the high expectations raised by the 10,000 public submissions.
Children's Commissioner Dr Russell Wills proposed a seven-point plan focused on tackling child poverty, reducing health and educational inequalities, and more support for children with disabilities and special needs. Almost none of these ideas have been picked up.
Instead, the White Paper outlines a much tighter system of monitoring and punishing abusive parents which amounts to the proverbial picking up the pieces at the bottom of the cliff.
In its own terms, it makes sense. Successive reviews of child abuse cases, at least since the death of Hastings 4-year-old James Whakaruru 13 years ago, have bemoaned multiple agencies all operating in ignorance of one other.
The proposed new multi-agency plans for each child, backed by an IT system accessible by all agencies, should have been set up years ago. The bigger challenge is to build a more equal and caring society that gives all young people, who are our future parents, the jobs and skills they need to make their children less vulnerable.
The White Paper was an opportunity to support all children and their parents more effectively. It is an opportunity lost.
Lots of hypothetical carrots-and-sticks in this policy.can't see any preventative measures just reporting, and a database that will be tightly controlled - Yeah Right ACC will manage it!
This is ani ngenious move to have Piggy Bennett roll out another social engineering plank to divert attention from the long running Dotcom sitcom. Now we're really at a stage where we can take bets on which Ministers knew about Dotcom but didn't tell their glorious leader as the list grows and grows.
As far as National are concerned, this is still about blaming the failings of parents rather than a recognition of systemic discrimination against children of the poor.
While there is no excuse for child abuse, we do know that one of the most significant underlying factors is poverty and social inequality. There are things we can do about this right now, if the Government has the will.
Implement a Universal Child Benefit.
Provide a government funded school-breakfasts program for all children in decile 1-3 schools.
Raise the minimum wage to $15/hour immediately and over the next three years bring it up to and legislatively lock it in at 2/3's of the average wage.
Raise the benefit back to a fair, decent and moral level. Tie it to a percentage of the average wage.
Is National interested in reducing the poverty and economic and social stress which leads to child abuse? Is National interested in making the lot of New Zealand kids better? Or is National more interested in 'cracking down', in an effort to win the 'get tough on.' vote?