6 March 2006

CYFS merger welcome, but must benefit children

The merger between Child Youth and Family Services (CYFS) and the Ministry of Social Development announced today is being welcomed by Green Party Social Development Spokesperson Sue Bradford - as long as it results in tangible outcomes for vulnerable children and not just more bureaucratic restructuring.

"It appears that the Government has finally bitten the bullet after a long saga of ongoing dysfunction at CYFS since National turned it into a stand-alone department in the late 1990s. National made a crook decision then, and everyone involved has been suffering the consequences ever since," Ms Bradford says.

"It's high time that the Government took control so that the huge resources ploughed into the department are actually spent where they are needed.

"CYFS dollars must be spent on the care and protection of children and on the social workers and other frontline staff whose job it is to look after them. We mustn't lose sight of the fact that this is the most important thing. I would hate to see this merger turn into yet another restructuring process that sees more money put into layers of management and less money put into staff and the children they serve.

"I hope the new CEO Peter Hughes and the Minister Ruth Dyson will have the courage and clarity to sort this department out once and for all for this generation," Ms Bradford says.

ENDS

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