Home for Life

Today I'm announcing an important initiative that endeavours to help some very important New Zealanders.

They are the children in care, who don't have a permanent home to go to.

And they are the people who have the space in their hearts to welcome a child in to their home and make them a part of the family.

Introduction

Thousands of New Zealand children are growing up in the care of the State.

They've been removed from their homes out of necessity because it's not safe for them to be there.

Thankfully, we have thousands of foster parents in this country doing an outstanding job, trying to care for children who have nowhere else to go.

And there are some children living in Child Youth and Family residences because it's the only option left.

We know this isn't a good way for children to start life.

We know that children need a stable, loving home where they're cared for and can feel they belong.

So the Government's put together a package to encourage New Zealanders with the heart, the courage and the generosity needed to step up and provide a home for life.

Kids in care

At any one time there are around five and a half thousand children in the custody of Child Youth and Family.

Many live in CYF residences and group homes, the remaining 4,300 in out of home placements.

That means they're staying with extended family/whanau or foster carers.

For children in care there is no certainty, no permanency and no stability.

They literally do not have a permanent home or permanent family to belong to.

It's understandably difficult for most people to imagine what that's like.

It's hard enough to believe hundreds of children are born to families every year who cannot or will not look after them.

These are children born into a life without love and without care.

In these cases Child Youth and Family must step in and find a new home so that child will be safe.

But often these are temporary solutions and provide no real ongoing security.

Half of the children in CYF care have been there for more than two years - and if you're five years old, two years is a big part of your life.

At the moment there are more than three hundred kids under 5 who've been in care for 2 years or more.

Over six hundred kids have spent more than four and a half years in care.

Actually, some never leave.

Eight percent of kids who come into State care, are there until they're 18 and leave because they're old enough to live independently. 

Most drift from one home to another - some can live in as many as ten different foster homes.

At least twenty percent have lived in five or more different foster homes.

It goes without saying that this is an incredibly difficult childhood experience.

Remember too these children are victims of violence, abuse and neglect who have seen and experienced things that have affected them deeply.

Sometimes as a result of those experiences they have physical and mental issues which further challenge them and those who care for them.

But every child in New Zealand deserves a loving, safe home.

Announcing Home for Life

So today I'm announcing Home for Life

This is a package aimed at encouraging families to take a child on permanently.

Giving that child the stability, the permanence and the security most of us take for granted.

There are just over 2,000 foster carers currently.

Many of whom may want to take a child on permanently but are concerned about losing State support and being left to cope alone.

This package is designed to make it easy to offer a child permanence and clearly sets out the ongoing support CYF will offer.

We want New Zealanders to know if they take on a child permanently, CYF will be there to provide help and support when it's needed.

The Permanency package includes:

• An upfront payment of $2,500 to contribute to costs like school uniforms, sports, clothing etc.

• A baby care starter pack - this will help families with buying a cot, push chair, high chair, bottles and baby wear -  to get them started.

• Reasonable legal costs - to go through the court process of permanency.

• Assistance with mediation and contact with birth parents as needed.

• Respite care for families who need some time out.

• Ongoing support with other agencies like Barnados, Open Home Foundation and others - this could be help with parenting or advice on dealing with birth parents or counselling services.

• A dedicated Child Youth and Family phone line for carers who can call and get priority service when they need help or advice (0800 CARERS).

• We'll also check on families after three months to see if they need any more support and again after six months.

• CYF seminars will provide information for carers and CYF will ensure they're getting the correct entitlements from Work and Income.

All of these things are designed to help carers take the steps to provide a Home for Life.

We expect these measures to reduce the length of time children are in State care and reduce the number of kids in care by 1,200 over four to five years.

There's an urgent need to do this for the children in care - the benefits for them are obvious.

But there's also another group of people for whom this will be welcome.

All those carers who desperately love the child or children in their care, but don't know if they can take the next step towards permanency.

They've told us they're scared they'll lose the allowances and the financial support they get now and that they'll be on their own if they hit a bump in the road.

So we're saying you won't be alone - if you need help it's there - we'll back you.

The Home for Life package means the financial support is there and Child Youth and Family are there for as long as necessary.

This package makes it possible for those incredibly generous Kiwis to welcome a child into their home for life.

I said before over six hundred kids had been in care for four and a half years.

Of those, one hundred have been in the same placement that whole time.

For the carers in these situations a Home for Life may be a natural next step.

And if there was anything holding them back - this initiative throws the door open.

And that door is open to anyone who thinks they can provide a stable, caring home for a child permanently.

It's imperative we do everything possible to provide a different pathway for these young New Zealanders.

We owe it to them and we owe it to New Zealand.

Thank you.