Source: HelpAtHand
Minister for Children and Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence Karen Chhour has announced the new Te Aorerekura Action Plan to eliminate Family Violence in NZ.
She says the Government plans to create an “effective multi-agency response” to Family violence, through gathering up agencies including Oranga Tamariki, police, Corrections, and the Minister of Social Development, to create plans to improve collaboration in six regions of the country.
But Labour Party prevention of family and sexual violence spokesperson Ginny Andersen said the Government was narrowing the focus without reporting on whether the prior plan’s actions had been completed.
Sadly, Anderson is 100% correct.
When I recently met with Karen Chhour to brief her on our highly successful HelpatHand Family violence prevention program which reduces violent Family Violence offending by 80% she admitted that getting these government agencies to work collaboratively “Is like herding cats.”
So, in reality there is no established systems in place so that these agencies can work together to reduce New Zealand world leading Family violence rates.
And given that the Prime Minister has directed NZ Police to focus on reducing retail, crime at the cost of attending Family Violence callout support and the government is cost cutting established agencies that support families and children at risk the Government is putting Kiwi Kids lives in harm’s way.
For example, highly successful independently validated support services for over 4,000 “at risk “youths provided by the Charity Stand Tū Māia have had their government funded contract terminated.
Chief executive Dr Fiona Inkpen announced Stand Tū Māia was taking Oranga Tamariki to court over its decision to terminate the contract.
There is some sad irony in this because the Governments new Social Investment agency is reviewing the effectiveness of Family violence initiatives, so it makes no sense to defund an agency that has been independently validated by the Impact Lab NZ and shown it is highly effective at supporting at risk kids.
So, Karen Chhour you are throwing 4,000 of our Tamariki “under the bus” which will inevitably result in increased Family Violence and teen suicide rates and have no established procedures in place which are likely to reduce Family Violence rates in NZ in the foreseeable future.
New Zealand needs a Minister for Children who will act in the best interests of our Tamariki.
