Bradford Sue: Supplementary Estimates — Imprest Supply Debate 
Bradford Sue: Supplementary Estimates — Imprest Supply Debate 
[Volume:618;Page:13811] 
SUE BRADFORD (Green) 
: 
 Today’s front page of the  
New Zealand Herald  
once again reveals that actions of the Department of Child Youth and Family Services are under review this time after a tiny baby was left fighting for its life in Starship Children’s Hospital his mother facing a charge of assault. While I do not want to get caught in that old trap of blaming the Department of Child Youth and Family Services for the actions of the adult who injured this baby this incident once again highlights the adequacies or otherwise of a department that continues to struggle. 
While overall the supplementary estimates do not show big variations for the department with only just under half a million dollars being added to its budget this does not really reflect what is going on with the department. Capital investment is down because of delays in implementing the residential youth justice services strategy. Funding for prevention and for what is called Family Wellbeing Services is down while there is additional money for care and protection services. I presume some of this latter amount is to go towards the employment of the new social workers the Minister referred to in the House this afternoon and I certainly acknowledge the progress the department is making towards improving its capacity to carry out its core statutory functions. But it is the lower than expected spending on prevention and family well-being that I am really questioning here this evening especially in the light of this morning’s news. 
I would like to be a little clearer about what sort of service if any the department provides for parents whose children are taken into statutory care. If a mother like the one in today’s story goes on to have or adopt another baby or child or children having had earlier children taken away does the department work with her to help her look after the new addition or additions to the family? Does the department step in only when there is an emergency or crisis or is there ongoing support and even education for families and parents who have had their children removed? 
The Green Party totally supports the underlying kaupapa of the Department of Child Youth and Family Services which is that the welfare of babies children and young people must come first. However parents and other family are an intrinsic part of each situation and surely they should not be ignored except when there is a crisis. Families in trouble do need lots of support but particularly if they are once again entering the situation of caring for children having lost earlier ones because of care and protection issues. 
I know that in the end no social worker or nurse or anyone else can ultimately protect any child—the recent situation in which a 2-month-old baby was assaulted by her father while she was an inpatient in Whangarei Hospital is another case in point—but I do get the feeling that more could be done to help those parents who struggle hardest in the most difficult of situations. My underlying question is this in relation to what is after all the estimates debate today: why is even the originally allocated funding for prevention and Family Wellbeing Services being underspent or spent elsewhere at a time when there are families parents and children in need of support all over the country and at a time when simultaneously many of the community organisations that work with the Department of Child Youth and Family Services to provide assistance to families are also crying out for sustainable funding and contracts? There does need to be better support for families who are within the purview of the department. Preventing both first instances and the reoccurrence of child abuse and neglect is very much a bottom-line outcome for the service and this work with families should be considered an integral part of this not some kind of added extra. 
In terms of the Department of Child Youth and Family Services’ relationships with community organisations one of the jobs that the baseline review undertook was to look at the interface between the department and the voluntary sector. My understanding of the result of that review is that a mandate for the department does continue to ensure that it builds effective and collaborative relationships with the non-governmental organisations that work in its area and to help strengthen its work and the synergies between the department and the community sector. However again if the department is serious about supporting and making the most of what the voluntary sector can offer in terms of prevention and support and Family Wellbeing Services I cannot understand why this part of the department’s budget is underspent or put to other areas. Too many groups and services are struggling to survive right now around the country. Some are going under. Every dollar unspent in these comparatively small budgets would go a very long way in helping some groups and the important work they do survive.