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Cradle to early grave
Tuesday, 06 January 2009
More than350 children and young people whose safety or welfare had been brought to Child, Youth and Family's attention have died since 2000.
Children's commissioner Cindy Kiro says many of the deaths were preventable.
Some died from suicide, abuse, assaults by parents or caregivers, neglect and shootings.
Last year, Dr Kiro carried out a review of the deathsand she criticised CYF social workers for not focusing enough on at-risk children. Most died from natural causes, medical complications or accidents, including vehicle crashes, fires, falls and drownings.
Dr Kiro said she was frustrated by the significant number of preventable child deaths through violence, neglect, injury or suicide.The review found "gaps" in information provided to her office and triggered a new focus on neglect by parents and caregivers.
Though CYF had dealt with some issues identified in her review, it needed to do more to protect high-risk children it was notified about.. "I want to see more impetus and focus . because that's where I think we can save the lives of a lot more children.."
Figures in Dr Kiro's 2008 annual report show her office was notified by CYF of 86 deaths last financial year alone a large increase on the previous year.
"It's immensely frustrating and it makes me feel sometimes angry that we can't and don't do more.
A further 271 deaths were reported between 2000 and 2007.
A further 271 deaths were reported between 2000 and 2007.
"We know about them, but it might just be a phone call that's made about a kid who's driving fast down the road," a spokesman said. .
About 50 children have died since 2000 while in CYF care, four from violence or abuse.
Numerous children referred to its care had pre-existing medical conditions. She would work with Dr Kiro on child advocacy issues.
Social Development Minister Paula Bennett refused to comment on the numbers, saying only that any child's death was tragic.
She said children notified to CYF were dying from the same causes as other children but were a higher-risk group.
Dr Kiro's review last year criticised CYF social-worker practices, and found "significant issues around supervision and chronic neglect" by some parents and caregivers, especially in cot death cases."
Generally when childrendied through deliberate violence or neglect, most were aged under five, not known to CYF officials and from families with intergenerational abuse. "So there's going to be an increased proportion of them who will die from physical assault, injury or other violence categories.
The number of reported cases of potential child abuse jumped from 40,939 notifications in 2004 to 89,461 last year.
The number of reported cases of potential child abuse jumped from 40,939 notifications in 2004 to 89,461 last year.
CYF said it was "symptomatic of an increase of public awareness and a growing intolerance of child abuse in society".
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Key unveils redundancy package
Around $160-a-week for families, redundancies could hit 70,000
Monday, 15 December 2008
A $50 million package to ease the burden on families affected by redundancy has been unveiled by the Government as it steels itself for as many as 70,000 people to lose their jobs as the effects of a global economic down turn bite.
Prime Minister John Key confirmed today the Government's re-start package would be backdated to November 8, the date of the election, and would provide short-term help for up to 16 weeks to low and moderate income families with children, and to people with high housing costs, who lost their jobs through redundancy.
* Up to $100-a-week extra for those who qualify for the maximum accommodation supplement after redundancy.
The package includes:
* A payment for families with children and who are no longer eligible for the In-Work Tax Credit, of $60-a-week for families with up to three children and $15-a-week for each extra child.
People made redundant between November 8 and today would have until January 15 to apply for assistance.
* Employment and job services.
Payments would start January 1. Those made redundant after today would have 20 working days to apply from the date they are laid off.
The government was committed to supporting "hard working New Zealanders who are unfortunate enough to be made redundant and need help meeting their commitments while they look for another job", he said.
Mr Key said the package fulfilled National's promise during the election campaign to help ease the country through an economic downturn.
Their costings are based on as many as 70,000 people needing assistance in those circumstances – but officials stressed that those figures were an extreme and "worst case" scenario and they were not expecting any where that number of people to be affected by redundancy.
Officials say the package provides assistance only for those affected by redundancy – workers who lose their jobs in other circumstances are not eligible.
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Parliament will sit again on Sept 23 – Clark
Monday, 08 September 2008
Parliament is set to have a final session beginning on September 23, Prime Minister Helen Clark said today.
There has been some speculation that this week's sitting of Parliament could be the last before the election, but Miss Clark said today that was not her plan. .
"It is our intention to be back on the 23rd (of September). we are certainly not intending this to be our last week," Miss Clark said. .
Confirmation Parliament would convene for a last scheduled session all but ruled out an election being held on October 18, unless Miss Clark wanted to have a short formal election campaign of less than four weeks
This Parliament will expire on October 6 and an election must be held by November 15.
She would not say how long the final session of Parliament would last and Miss Clark said she had "no news" to share when asked about the election date.
Most people are picking November 8 as election day.
Dissolving this Parliament before that time and setting the election date is entirely the choice of Miss Clark.
This still has to complete its committee stage and it is expected to be given its third reading on Wednesday.
This week the Government is planning to pass the centrepiece of its climate change policy – the emission trading scheme bill (ETS).
Miss Clark has given few hints on her thinking about election dates and how long Parliament will sit for.
Miss Clark also confirmed today that the Government would be adopting the Greens' Waste Minimisation Bill to ensure it passed before Parliament wound up.
Some have speculated that the political storm surrounding New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters might destabilise the Government.
Miss Clark was most likely to prefer a longer formal election campaign in the hope she can trip up National leader John Key and eat into his party's lead in political popularity.
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Miss Clark was relying on NZ First and the Greens to pass the ETS, and so far there has been no sign of Mr Peters threatening to withdraw support, or Miss Clark passing her judgment on his position