$347.8m for care and protection of young people

Budget 2016 will invest $347.8 million of operating funding over this year and the next four years for the care and protection of vulnerable children and young people, Social Development Minister Anne Tolley says.

“This operating funding addresses increased demand in the current Child, Youth and Family model, and will help transform it into a world-class care and protection system delivering the safety and long-term life outcomes that young New Zealanders deserve,” Mrs Tolley says.

The recently-announced major overhaul of care and protection will deliver a new child-centred approach by March 2017, with a single point of accountability focused on prevention, intensive intervention, care support services, transition support and preventing youth offending and reoffending. 

New funding includes:

• $144.9 million over four years to meet cost pressures and increased demand for services from more children and young people in care.
• $199.9 million over four years, of which $141.5 million is in contingency, plus $3 million in 2015/16 for the transformation programme and for the new child-centred operating model. This includes developing an independent youth advocacy service, raising the age of care and protection, caregiver recruitment and training, workforce training and development, and better access to support for caregivers. The new model will use the Social Investment approach to identify the best way of targeting early interventions so vulnerable children receive the care and support they need, when they need it.

“Budget 2016 allows us to begin the radical overhaul which our care and protection system needs, for the sake of young New Zealanders. Further funding needs will become clearer as the new operating model is developed.”