A country that does its best for children is a country that is working well.

 

Placing children at the centre

 

 

HE MANA TÔ IA TAMAITI

EVERY CHILD COUNTS

 

 

“We need to raise investment in children.  The wellbeing of children is not only a moral obligation for society, but is also the key to future economic growth and a central element of strategies to reduce poverty.”

- Progressive Governance Summit Final Communique (July, 2003)

 

 

What’s it about?

 

The strength of New Zealand's economy and society now and in the future depends on how we raise and support our children.

 

Sustainable social and economic development

Placing children at the centre of public policy development will enable New Zealand to thrive now and in the future.  Childhood will be valued and respected for its own sake.  Nurtured children are also a key to sustainable social and economic development of New Zealand 

Research clearly shows the link between neglect, abuse and poverty in childhood and poor mental health, crime, reduced employability and lost potential in adulthood. The cost is immense, in both economic and personal terms.

Developing public policy in the context of sustainable development draws attention to the importance of childhood and the social and economic consequences of child poverty and failure to care for and protect children.

The development that takes place in the early years is a determinant of a person's ability to contribute to our economy and society. Unless the appropriate investment is made in the early years, New Zealand's most significant brain drain will continue to occur in the first three years of children's lives.

 

Where do children fit in the economy?

In economic terms, children can be seen as:

·                 Future adult producers

·                 Present-day consumers

·                 Present-day citizens

·                 Essential members of a thriving economy

The better prepared children are for adult life, the better the prospects for our economy.  Children who are well cared for contribute to a confident society.  Confidence is good for business.

 

But children are more than the skilled workers, leaders and innovators of the future. Their presence in our lives and the active part they play is an expression of the confidence and commitment of our society.

By contrast, our failure to protect and provide for a substantial number of them signals a society that is not at its best and is heading for a less favourable outcome.  A country that does its best for children and where children can do their best is a country that is working well.

 

“Ensuring healthy child development…is an investment in a country's future workforce and capacity to thrive economically and as a society.” (World Bank, 2002)

 

What are we seeking?

First and foremost, we are aiming to place children at the centre of policy development and implementation.

What are we seeking?

Every Child Counts wants to encourage all political parties to demonstrate their commitment to sustainable social and economic development by putting children at the centre of policy development.

While political parties may have different views on the detailed policy initiatives required, those committed to children will:

·                Commit to putting children and families at the centre of policy development and implementation

·                Ensure every child gets a good start

·                 End child poverty

·                Reduce child abuse and neglect

These four issues are priorities for political action. Evidence shows they impact

directly on prospects for New Zealand children. For more information about these issues and the international evidence supporting this document visit: www.everychildcounts.org.nz

 

What can you do?

Every New Zealander has a responsibility to support children and parents, to ensure the children in our communities are protected and nurtured. In an election year, we can also encourage our political candidates to make sure they put children at the centre of their policies. This is in the interests of all of us.

 

Child protection cannot be separated from policies to improve children’s lives as a whole (Chief Secretary to the UK Treasury, 2003).

How do we get there?
Our four key policy goals:

 

1.   Put children and families at the centre of policy development and implementation

 

The way policy is developed and implemented is key to its effectiveness and reflects the sincerity of government’s commitment to children and New Zealand’s future.  We need:

 

·     Child-impact reporting: assess all policy during development and following implementation for its impact on children.

·     Improved outcomes for children: develop and monitor measurable targets and objectives.

·     Evidence-based policy and practice: base policies and services for children and families on good evidence for effectiveness where such evidence exists.

·     Planning and funding: all policy development for children and families accompanied by implementation plans and funding.

·     Consultation: ensure meaningful consultation with communities, families and children during policy development.

·     Co-ordination: ensure coordination of child and family policy development.

 

 

2.   Ensure every child gets a good start

 

The first few years of a child’s life are critical to his or her future in all spheres of health, welfare and education. Support for families and other caregivers is essential for promoting a good start to life. There are many different ways to do this. Each party must have a plan to better support children in the early years. International evidence suggests policies should include:

 

·     Paid parental leave: provision of paid parental leave to support the earliest stages of child development and promote child-parent attachment

·     Family support:  ensure all families with young children have adequate income and housing to meet their children’s needs

·     Family support services: ensure children and families have timely access to coordinated quality family support services including intensive support where needed.

·     Well child care: ensure children and families have sufficient access to preventative health care to meet the needs of individual families.

·     Positive parenting support: enable adults to use positive, non-violent and effective child disciplinary techniques.

·     Parenting education: invest in parenting programmes that equip parents to nurture children and support optimal child development,

·     Child care and education: ensure universal access to excellent, affordable child care and early childhood education.

·     Special needs: ensure adequate support and respite care for families and carers of children with special needs, including children with disabilities.

 

A political commitment to improve children’s lives also presents us with an opportunity to explore how we as a society value children and the quality of childhood we want to enjoy.” (Tess Ridge, 2004)

 

3.       End child poverty

 

Child poverty impacts about a third of New Zealand children and is associated with poor outcomes. Ending child poverty and ensuring all children are provided with the basic necessities of life (warmth, housing, adequate nutrition, health care and educational opportunities) are keys to the future security and prosperity of New Zealand. A range of direct measures (such as income redistribution) and indirect measures (such as affordable housing and economic development) are needed to achieve this. Political party policies should include:

 

·     A plan: establish a plan to end child poverty that is supported by a comprehensive range of policies designed to promote social and economic inclusion, including specific targets toward elimination of child poverty

·     Monitoring: monitor and report on progress in reaching this goal.

·     Continuity: build on existing initiatives to reduce child poverty.

·     Anti-discrimination: ensure that no child is discriminated against in measures to reduce poverty (including discrimination on the grounds of parental employment status).

 

 

4.       Reduce child abuse and neglect

 

     Child abuse and neglect includes sexual and physical violence towards children, witnessing violence in the home, emotional abuse, neglect and systemic abuse.  It inflicts immediate and lifelong damage on children and contributes to inter-generational patterns of violence.  Let’s commit to:

 

·     Changing attitudes:  Action to change societal attitudes towards violence to women and children in particular.

·     Quality services:  Timely access to quality services for abused and neglected children and their families.  This includes culturally appropriate therapeutic services for traumatised children, advocacy for children caught up in violence between adults in their lives and support for children of parents with mental health problems.

·     Quality training: Quality services require well-trained and supported staff.

·     Quality foster care: Attention to recruitment and retention of foster parents.  This includes offering better reimbursement to foster parents and facilitating better support networks for current foster parents. 

·     Child protection: Ensure an effective child protection system integrating government and non-government organisations and data-systems with effective, independent auditing.

 

“Variation in government policy appears to account for most of the variation in child poverty levels between OECD countries.” (Unicef-Innocenti Research Centre, 2005)