Commissioner's Blog
Dr Russell Wills is New Zealand's Children's Commissioner. In this blog he will talk about issues that matter to children and young people. He welcomes your thoughts, ideas, concerns and feedback.
November
14 Sep 2012
How could health services do better for children in poverty?
Since the Expert Advisory Group’s release of their ‘Issues and Options’ paper on proposed solutions to child poverty I’ve been amazed at the response in media blogs and social media.
Clearly there is a groundswell of support for the ideas in the report. Thank you to everyone who has commented. Please send your ideas in via the website and have your say. Come to the community consultation and give us your ideas – dates on the website. ...
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30 Aug 2012
Talking about solutions...
On Tuesday the Expert Advisory Group on Solutions to Child Poverty (EAG) released their Issues and Options Paper. Not surprisingly they say that there is no silver bullet for such a complex problem. They outline a range of short and long term solutions across a range of sectors.
Over the next few weeks I’ll share their solutions. The EAG want you to send feedback on whether you think what they propose will make a difference and what your ...
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28 Aug 2012
We can do something about child poverty
Proposed solutions to child poverty announced today by my Expert Advisory Group have potential to pull thousands of kiwi children out of poverty.
New Zealand is a caring country that values children. I don’t believe anyone thinks that child poverty is OK.
I think the suggested solutions are bold clever and have great potential for children and New Zealand.
While there has been plenty of good work in this area for many years there has been very ...
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21 Aug 2012
Persistent poverty: the dark side of New Zealand childhoods
Many households in poverty in New Zealand move in and out of poverty. Sometimes this is just a one-off situation like when a relationship breaks down or a parent loses their job. For other households the periods of poverty come and go. For example if a parent does seasonal work. Children in these households may experience a number of different periods of living in poverty.
However what is most damaging to children is growing up in persistent poverty. ...
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14 Aug 2012
Why should we care about child poverty?
“Child poverty is not a natural part of life. It is not like the river flowing or seedlings growing into trees. We should not accept that it is part of growing up in New Zealand/Aotearoa. We have a responsibility to do something about it.” – Dr Tracey McIntosh co-chair of the Expert Advisory Group
Let me be blunt. Child poverty matters because it hurts to be a child that misses out. It hurts to be the kid at ...
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07 Aug 2012
Child poverty - on our doorsteps
As I have said before poverty shouldn’t be an issue in New Zealand. Yet it is. And there is nothing sadder than knowing there are children going hungry getting sick and missing out in homes around the country.
As the Commissioner for kiwi children I cannot sit back and accept child poverty. That’s why I have made finding solutions – immediate solutions to reduce the harm of poverty and long term solutions to address poverty – one of ...
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27 Feb 2012
Over to the young people…
With only one day left before submissions close for the Green Paper I thought it was appropriate to leave the final word on the Green Paper to children and young people.
My Office talked to 300 children and young people from around New Zealand to get their views on the Green Paper. We met with children and young people from eight Child Youth and Family residences four primary schools and a number of youth groups. There were some ...
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20 Feb 2012
Has the time come for a New Zealand Children’s Act?
New Zealanders love to boast that we punch above our weight. That we lead the way in business environmental and cultural innovation. We’re proud of our record being nuclear-free of our rugby superstars and Peter Jackson.
It’s about time we showed the world that in fact children are the country’s greatest taonga (treasure). That we value them love them and want the very best for them.
A Children’s Act would send a strong message about the value we ...
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09 Feb 2012
What has to change for our Pacific families?
This week’s guest blog is by Sandra Alofivae – one of the ‘Champions’ of the Green Paper for Vulnerable Children. A lawyer Sandra has spent the last 20 years representing children young people and their families in South Auckland. She’s also a former Families Commissioner. Sandra say that being involved in promoting the national debate around the Green Paper on Vulnerable Children has been rewarding and re-affirming.
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02 Feb 2012
Putting children first?
Imagine you’re the parent of a young baby and you manage to break your leg in an accident. Think about how much harder it would be to look after your baby when you’re hobbling around on crutches.
But when you are being looked after in A&E the doctors may not ask if you are caring for a young child. Being a parent may also not be taken into consideration by ...
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26 Jan 2012
Second-hand drinking - changing social culture and protecting children
This guest blog has been written by Prashan Casinader a member of the Commissioner's Young People's Reference Group (YPRG). Here he writes about the second-hand impacts of alcohol on children and young people. This year the YPRG identified problems associated with alcohol as a priority area for the group and one they will be looking at in more depth during their term as members.
Alcohol abuse by young people was in and out of the headlines last year; ...
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16 Dec 2011
Early childhood education – a missed opportunity for some?
Many of us will have fond and vivid memories of attending a pre-school kindergarten or crèche as a young child - eating the salty playdough fighting over toys in the sandpit and painting works of art for the fridge at home.
But what happens in early childhood services is ...
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09 Dec 2011
Neglect: The silent destroyer of childhood
New Zealanders are very aware of the damage done by child abuse. It seems that every day we hear of another horrific case of physical harm to a child. But child abuse is just the tip of the iceberg. Neglect is another form of maltreatment that can be just as serious - and just as damaging to a child.
Neglect is a difficult thing to define. In basic terms - abuse is about things done to children ...
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01 Dec 2011
Poverty - "snapping at our heels"
"Poverty doesn’t exist in NZ…yeah right! It’s right here on our doorstep. In our homes. Snapping at our heels. It’s poverty and it’s HERE. IN NZ!" – Jack - from Te Puru (a youth participant in the This is how I see it poverty project by the Office of the Children’s Commissioner 2010).
Poverty shouldn’t be an issue in New Zealand. Yet it is. And there is nothing sadder than knowing that in pockets around the country ...
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24 Nov 2011
Watching out for vulnerable children
A new child has just started in your child's class. She looks like a normal child but this is her third school in two years and she’s a bit behind her classmates. Moving around so much means that no teacher gets to know her and her family well nor does any GP or neighbours. She might be doing well and be well cared for. Or she may not. She and her family might need ...
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18 Nov 2011
Universal and targeted services: A lot for some or a little for all?
As a nation we have choices about the services we fund for children. They are tough choices. And they impact on us all whether we are parents or not.
One of the ways we choose is by deciding whether the service will be available to all children (‘universal’) or just some (‘targeted’). The Green Paper asks - should we invest in more targeted services for vulnerable children?
This blog gives some examples of universal and targeted services ...
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11 Nov 2011
Sharing information on vulnerable children
How would you feel if your neighbour's child was taken to a GP across town to fix a broken arm (suspiciously broken) and the GP didn't know that the child had already a number of injuries (all suspicious) because different GPs and A&E had treated them? At the moment professionals working with children have strict guidelines about what information they can share about children.
Information sharing between professionals can however save children's lives and ensure the best services ...
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08 Nov 2011
Children are our most valuable resource
Every day in New Zealand babies are born into families where parents are too young poorly supported or have childhoods themselves that have left them emotionally scarred. These babies do badly. They get sick. When they reach school they are not ready to learn. And as they grow up they don't learn and leave school early.
Every one of us feels the impact of this; our school and health systems strain under the pressure our prisons fill up and our ...
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