INDEPENDENT NEWS

New plans to support children and young people

Published: Wed 9 Aug 2006 05:06 PM
AUCKLAND CITY COUNCIL MEDIA RELEASE
9 August 2006
New plans to support children and young people
Auckland City's Community Development and Equity Committee today endorsed plans to launch more projects to benefit children and young people in 2006/07.
The committee received an update on the progress of the child and family policy and the youth policy, and approved this year's action plans aimed to make Auckland a safe, engaging and prosperous place for children and young people to live.
Councillor Cathy Casey, chairperson of the committee, says the council is proud of the successes that have come from both policies over the past year.
"The council has opened additional facilities like the Otahuhu Recreation and Youth Centre and Okahu Bay Playground to give families a place to meet and children the space to learn; we have launched safety projects such as the first pre-school walking bus; and held forums and consultation programmes to ensure the council is responding to the needs of young people.
"The impact of these projects, plus the many other child, youth and family initiatives, is a real investment in our children and our city's future," says Councillor Casey.
This year's policy action plans have been developed in consultation with key stakeholders and child and family organisations. They hope to build on the past year's successes and include input from children and their families.
Key projects from the new action plans include:
* hosting a forum for young people to input into the council's annual plan
* expanding the youth development programmes at Ellerslie, Lynfield, Panmure and Otahuhu which encourage young people to have a sense of pride and respect for themselves and their communities
* ensure more events are family friendly and investigating hosting an event to promote National Children's Day in March 2006
* a collaborative project involving UNICEF, SafeKids and the Office of Children's Commissioner to develop an assessment tool to evaluate the impact of council projects and policies on children living in Auckland.
The child and family policy targets children between birth and age 12, and the youth policy outlines Auckland City's priorities for 12 to 24 year olds. Both aim to ensure Auckland City considers the views of children, young people and their families in their policies and projects.
ENDS

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