The Green Paper for Vulnerable Children - Ministry of Social ...

Missed appointments: A small minority of submissions suggested government should stepin if families miss regular appointments with service providers, with examples being missingimmunisations or Well Child visits.When it is first indicated that there may be something amiss within the whānau, e.g. notturning up for appointments, visits to emergency departments for suspicious falls etc.(general public)Concerns about government intervention: Other ideas put forward in response to this questioncriticised the statutory response to child abuse, suggesting children were not appropriatelyplaced, more expertise was needed to be brought in to make decisions about child welfare,and more resources need to be given to Child, Youth and Family to do an adequate job.Government to reduce involvement: A small minority of submissions argued there was toomuch government intervention. These submissions suggested government did too much forfamilies and should just let families get on with it.Parents and caregivers: Free-form submissionsIn this section we report on what free-form submissions had to say about the role of governmentin supporting parents and caregivers to look after their children. Themes are discussed underthe following broad headings:• Addressing the causes of vulnerability• The balance between supporting families and protecting children• Providing services and supports that help families in their parenting role.Addressing the causes of vulnerabilityThe strongest call from free-form submissions was for government to improve the broader livingconditions of families to reduce child vulnerability.We are cognisant that it is the wider social determinants of equitable housing, education,employment, physical environment and social connectivity that impacts most significantlyon health. (NGO)Submissions noted families might be living with multiple disadvantages. We report on eachof the living conditions specifically mentioned by submissions.Poverty and income inequality: A large minority of submissions commented on the roleof poverty and income inequality in poor child outcomes. These ideas were raised in a clearmajority of community meetings and submissions from other organisations, followed by NGOs,frontline workers, and to a lesser extent, the general public. Submissions suggested raising theminimum wage, increasing benefits and allowances, removing GST from food and supportingpeople into work. Submissions linked poverty with children having to go without the basicnecessities of life. Submissions made the point that income inequality meant families with lowincomes were not able to offer children the same opportunities as families with higher incomes,which was seen as unjust. Poverty was also linked to increasing stress in the lives of families andreducing their ability to parent well.52 Share Responsibility