Anne Tolley supports CYF contraceptive advice

Social Development Minister Anne Tolley said there should be more contraceptive advice given to parents of children in the care of Child, Youth and Family.

There should be more contraceptive advice given to parents of children in Child, Youth and Family care, Social Development Minister Anne Tolley said.

An expert panel has looked into the care of children in state care and Mrs Tolley said she would implement the recommendations made.

The panel made strong recommendations of how the country could more aggressively push contraception on mothers of children who have been removed from their families and taken into state care.

"I know of a case where they were taking the sixth child from that woman," Mrs Tolley told Radio New Zealand.

"So, what sort of family planning advice is being made available for that woman?"

"the interim report of the expert panel talks a lot about the fact these families are struggling... Are we making sure that... family planning and contraception advice is getting to the very people who need it the most, the families showing the most dysfunction and the most stress?"

Lucy Sandford-Reed, chief executive of New Zealand Association of Social Workers, said a different approach was needed.

"You can't just stomp in on day one and say 'right, here's the pill'.

She said contraceptive advice needed to be part of the package of assistance social workers provide, rather than a "reactive and punitive" step from the Ministry of Social Development.