19 May 2015
Big risks as CYF checks stopped
Revelations that Child, Youth and Family is no longer assisting home-based early childhood educators by vetting
potential employees should set alarm bells ringing, Labour Children’s spokesperson Jacinda Ardern says.
“Doing away with an extra mechanism for checking potential new employees places enormous pressure on organisations
working with children and it puts children at risk.
“It completely undermines Social Development Minister Anne Tolley’s claims that she is increasing protection for our
kids.
“While home-based educators have always been able to access police checks for potential new employees, many considered
this wasn’t always robust enough so sought CYF checks as well.
“The CYF service has been used for many years, with employers reporting information from those checks has, in some
cases, led them to reconsider their employment decision.
“They have now been told by CYF that ‘MSD is not resourced to provide’ them.
“The Vulnerable Children’s Act 2014 places more stringent safety checks on organisations working with children, but the
onus is all on the employer with little support from Government.
“The Minister has claimed CYF was never meant to offer this service in the first place, yet it has been proved that
police vetting alone is not enough in these situations.
“It is yet further proof that CYF is under enormous pressure. The Minister needs to ensure her department is supported
to do the basics. Criticising officials who are doing their best to keep children safe is hardly leadership,” Jacinda
Ardern says.
ends