March 16, 2017
Wider consultation needed on whanau-first wording
The Greens' social development spokesperson says the Government needs to work with wider Maori organisations in to reshaping of child, youth and family law.
Jan Logie says Social Development Minister Anne Tolley's concession on dropping the priority for Maori children to be placed in homes with whanau, hapu or iwi connections is a win for Maori organisations.
She says Maori social workers, the Maori Women's Welfare League and other community groups challenged the monocultural and racist beliefs underlying the change.
While the Government says it will work with the Maori Party on new wording, Ms Logie says it needs to cast the net wider.
"The Maori Party were challenging them on this and they didn't listen. We want to make sure the communities involved and that the resources are put to this to actually realise the intent of that policy because the fact is we are fighting for the wording but we need the concept to be real and we never managed to get that," Ms Logie says.
She says the Government must ensure the new Tamariki Ora Ministry for Vulnerable Children and Maori organisations are properly resourced to implement whanau-first placements, so the number of tamariki Maori in state care can be cut.
FULL INTERVIEW WITH JAN LOGIE
http://www.waateanews.com/play_podcast?podlink=NTE5NDI=
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