$101 MILLION FOR SERVICES TO CHILDREN IN NEED

Children and families in need will benefit from an extra $101 million being set aside over the next three years for services, the Minister of Social Welfare Roger Sowry said today.

"This significant injection confirms the Coalition Government's commitment to making a real positive difference to the lives of children and young people at risk and to help strengthen families.

"It will also enable programmes and new services to be developed which will greatly improve the range of programmes and help for youth who are at risk."

The Children, Young Persons and their Families Service and the NZ Community Funding Agency will receive $52 million over the next three years, with a further $49.5 million set aside for programmes which are still being developed.

This funding includes $27 million announced two weeks ago, to help CYPFS and NZCFA provide services for high risk children and young people.

"Of this $27 million, $13.2 million will provide 66 more residential places by 2001 for children and young people at high risk themselves or who may pose risks to others.

"The balance of up to $13.8 million will be available for programme development and new services for youth at risk, including mobile services to deal with adolescent sex abusers, more intensive community-based treatment programmes for difficult to manage children, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, and programmes to help young people at risk of harming themselves.

"At least 65 more social workers, better and faster management of cases, and more follow-up action of family group conferences and agreements with the courts will all be possible with the extra $18.4 million increase to CYPFS front-line services.

"We recognise that early intervention prevents greater and more costly problems later on in children's lives, so we are also extending the Social Workers in Schools project to 14 more schools.

"This Budget also includes $5.93 million for an education programme to help change attitudes and reduce New Zealand's problem of chronic child neglect, which last year accounted for a third of child abuse and neglect notifications to CYPFS.

"It will mean that a range of services can be developed to fulfil the principles of the Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act," Mr Sowry said.