Anti-whanau stance inconsistent with promise of strategic partnerships with iwi
Dame Tariana Turia is disappointed that the principles of Puao-te-ata-tu which shaped the 1989 Child, Young Persons and their Families Act are being tampered with despite a wealth of expertise upholding the fundamental value of a whanau-centred approach.
"Across the world, social scientists, politicians and family advocates have lauded the 1989 Act as being ground-breaking in the importance it placed on placing faith in our families to care for their own. The problem is that the principles of the Act were never fully upheld by successive bureaucracies who under-delivered on the resourcing required to support parents in their most vital role.
"Why is it that Governments can invest so much in sustaining foster care organisations and yet fail to support parents and whanau as the first and fundamental carers?
"I am extremely disappointed at Minister Tolley's warning shot that she will delete from law, section 5 (c) (ii) that consideration must be given to how a decision affects the "family, whanau, hapu, iwi and family group". This is effectively saying that whanau, hapu and iwi are incidental, irrelevant, to decisions around the best placement for a child.
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