8. JUDY TURNER (Deputy Leader—United Future) Link to this
to the Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment (CYF)
Does she have confidence in her service’s intervention work, when the Innocenti Report ranks New Zealand children last in the OECD for safety; if so, why?
Hon RUTH DYSON (Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment (CYF)) Link to this
Yes, I do. However, I think that all members would agree that there is room for improvement. The vast majority of deaths captured by the safety indicator result from traffic fatalities, drowning, falls, fire, and poisoning. The proportion of abuse is very small, but even one child’s death from abuse is one too many.
How can she have confidence in her department when Child, Youth and Family does not even centrally collect important information regarding violence against children, such as the types of injury and the relationship of the perpetrator of the victim; and without knowing information such as who is doing this violence and what type of violence it is, how can Child, Youth and Family hope to stop trends in child abuse or identify areas that need attention?
The collection of data in New Zealand is far more robust than in most other comparable countries. It is not necessarily the responsibility of Child, Youth and Family to do it, but that data is collected. It is my view that the primary point of the member’s question is correct: that information must be utilised by organisations including Child, Youth and Family.
Sue MoroneyOur infant mortality rate fluctuates from year to year but has been trending downwards over time. It has actually more than halved over the last 20 years.
Anne TolleyHow does the Minister justify the huge cuts in family well-being services—the important interventions and wrap-around services aimed at those New Zealand families at risk—from almost $59 million in 2004 to just $38 million in this year’s Budget, when clearly from the Unicef report children in New Zealand are more at risk of abuse, neglect, poor health, etc., than in most other developed countries in the world?
I am delighted to hear the member supporting an increase in social services expenditure. I am not sure which of her co-leaders would provide the financial policy to back that up.
Does not the lack of tracking and monitoring further support my call for accountability that would see the instigation of a Child, Youth and Family complaints authority; if so, is any work being done on such an authority at present within the ministry?
Following the advocacy and hard work undertaken by the member asking the supplementary question, I have requested my officials to investigate a complaints authority for Child, Youth and Family, as, in my view, the member has proven that it would have merit. I hope that further work on such a complaints authority will continue, with the participation of United Future.