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Download AudioThe Government has released its first statutory Annual Report for the Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy and its third Child Poverty Related Indicators Report,
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says they show an across-the-board reduction in food insecurity, in tamariki living in low-income households, and in preventable hospitalisations.
They also show a 10 per cent across the board drop in youth offending, including a 15 per cent drop among Māori young people.
On the negative side, there’s an increase in tamariki and rangatahi seeking support for mental health issues during the pandemic.
“Where we have concerns are what we are seeing in mental health. It’s why we’re rolling out more broadly Mana Ake, why we’ve increased the access and choice programme, primary mental health care, and why we are continuing to invest in youth mental health, but it is a concern for us,” Ms Ardern says.
The Mana Ake child mental wellbeing programme has been extended to five more district health board areas, an additional $1 million given to Youthline and counsellors put into another 164 schools.
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