Source: PSA
Birthright Hutt Valley closes its doors on Friday after 60 years of supporting single-caregiver whānau in the region. The PSA says the Government has failed the Hutt Valley community, and this loss will be felt for generations to come.
“This closure is a failure of government. Birthright has served this community for 60 years and it’s closing because the Government would not fund it adequately, “said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary, PSA Te Pukenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
“It’s heartbreaking,”
“There has been no response from Oranga Tamariki, no plan, and no replacement. Hutt Valley families have been left out in the cold,”
“If this Government was serious about children and families doing well in New Zealand, they wouldn’t have let an organisation like close,”
“This Government has chosen tax relief for landlords over a 60-year-old organisation support single-caregiver families,”
“When you allow an organisation like this to close, you are not just failing the families in front of you today – you are failing generations to come.”
Birthright is the only specialist social service for single-caregiver whanau in the Hutt Valley. Its social workers have helped families navigate WINZ, supported survivors of family violence, advocated in family court, and provided practical help through the Whānau Room.
“In the days since we announced our closure, whānau have been coming to us asking where they can turn to now. And I have had to tell them I do not know. There is nothing else,” said Birthright Manager, Sarah Szabo.
“We have laughed and cried with these families. We have been there for some of the hardest moments of their lives. Saying goodbye to them is devastating.”
Birthright Hutt Valley closes its doors on Friday 22 May
The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.