Hon Ruth Dyson
Minister for Social Development & Employment

Embargoed 23 July 2008 10am Media Statement

Pathway to Partnership funding rolls out

Pathway to Partnership funding is underway with the first of many additional payments going out to community groups this week.

"Over 850 community groups providing social services to children, young people and families are receiving a 3.4% inflation adjustment, totalling more than $6 million," said Social Development and Employment Minister Ruth Dyson.

“The government has committed to providing annual adjustments for inflation every year from now on. This is one part of our strategy to move all essential social services to full funding by 2012, and make that change sustainable”.

Today the government is also announcing that cost pressure payments made last year, originally intended as one off payments, will be brought into providers’ ongoing funding for this and future years, a move that will give community groups an additional $3 million in 2008/09.

All the funding increases for this year are expected to be agreed with providers and payments made by the end of September.

"By 2012, Pathway to Partnership will move essential social services delivered by community organisations to full funding. It will give community organisations more certainty, and more ability to plan ahead and to attract and retain qualified staff," said Ms Dyson.

Ruth Dyson will today meet one such organisation, the Mother of Divine Mercy, an Auckland-based provider of services to families who have experienced domestic violence. The organisation will receive a funding increase in 2008/09 of more than $110,000. Their funding will continue to increase each year until they reach full funding in 2011/12.

‘’Organisations like Mother of Divine Mercy are being recognised for the vital services and support they provide. This extra funding will make a real difference for these groups as they work to improve the lives of families,’’ said Ms Dyson.

Once this year’s funding is finalised, discussions will continue with community groups to determine their pathway to full funding by 2012.

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Mother of Divine Mercy

Mother of Divine Mercy Refuge Charitable Trust (MDM) – formerly known as Fale Malu Pasefika Women’s Refuge – was established in 1991 to provide refuge accommodation and services for families experiencing domestic violence.

It provides culturally tailored services that help families to deal with their issues and rebuild lives. It also aims to work with the abuse perpetrator.

The Mother of Divine Mercy services include:
• Intake refuge services that provide safe haven accommodation and support for mothers and their families
• Post-refuge services to assist mothers and their families through the transition process of re-establishing their lives when moving back into the community
• Children’s wellbeing services and programmes
• A youth programme to assist at-risk youth who have been victims of domestic violence and other types of abuse
• Budgeting information and advisory services to educate mothers towards improved financial literacy and management of their affairs
• Outreach social work support to families after they have left the refuge
• A whole of family project that aims to minimise the re-occurrence of domestic violence and the devastating impacts on families when women choose to return to their partners

Mother of Divine Mercy is just one of over 250 community groups that provide family violence prevention services across New Zealand that will benefit from Pathway to Partnership. This includes the NZ National Collective of Womens’ Refuges.

ENDS

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