Government heeding call for unrelenting focus on child wellbeing

A UN report into child wellbeing reinforces the government’s sense of urgency in putting children at the heart of everything we do, Prime Minister and Minister for Child Poverty Reduction Jacinda Ardern says.

“This Government is determined to make New Zealand the best country in the world to be a child.

“The report notes progress over the last 25 years has been ‘slow and patchy’ and that New Zealand is out of step with international standards.

“This Government wants to change that. We are committed to making this country a world leader when it comes to child wellbeing.

“We have already introduced ambitious measures to help us get there. Our Child Poverty Reduction Bill requires governments to set three and 10-year targets on child poverty reduction, and provide updates in each Budget.

“Alongside that any legislative decisions we make must take into account the impact they will have on our children, while our Families package will increase the incomes of around 384,000 households by an average of $75 a week.

“We have established a Royal Commission to investigate historic abuse and violence towards children in state care and are in the process of developing a comprehensive strategy to promote the overall wellbeing of children and tamariki.

“We are making big strides in ensuring New Zealand is the best place in the world to be a child, but I won’t be satisfied until we are,” Jacinda Ardern said.