Annette King
Labour Deputy Leader

27 July 2011

Policy must focus on every child

The Government’s green paper on vulnerable children is a step in the right direction, but is too narrowly focused, Labour’s Deputy Leader Annette King says.

“I’m pleased that the general principles mirror our Children’s Policy, and that the paper includes many of our policy’s components, including information-sharing, child centred practices, agency collaboration and legislation changes.

“Where we differ is in its emphasis on vulnerable children only. As Labour – and numerous organisations at the coal-face – have been saying for years, policy needs to focus on every Kiwi child and family for the first five years.

“That is the only way you will prevent “vulnerable” children appearing in what are increasingly grim statistics,” Annette King said.

“We are again offering to work across parties on this. We will again write to the Prime Minister, as we did in November 2009, to offer our support. Hopefully this time we won’t be rebuffed as we were then.

“This is a hugely important issue. The country as a whole needs to work together on it. We have wasted three years already, and it will be at least another year, until we see any real action.

“What we don’t want to see in the implementation of this policy is some children and families missing out through budget being cut from other child-centred services. If there is money for a plastic waka, then there is money for our kids,” Annette King said.

ENDS

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