November 20, 2016
CYF changes point to privatisation
Tamaki Makaurau MP Peeni Henare says he understands the frustration felt by whanau whose tamariki are in state care.
Mr Henare attended a meeting of Te Rito: Restoration of Whanau, which was formed to address the problem.
He says when the Puao Te Ata Tu report came out almost 30 years ago there were 5000 children in care, the majority Maori, and the fact the numbers are similar today shows what has been done clearly isn’t working.
He says the Government’s solution, turning Child, Youth and Family into the Ministry for Vulnerable Children, could create new problems,
"The chief executive (will have) the power to delegate massive responsibility to anyone and everyone and I don’t think that’s good enough given the significant amount of training that social workers need to deal with our families, to work with our families and in our communities, and to be able to give that kind of power away is of serious concern. The agenda seems to be a privatisation of a lot of those services," he says.
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