Turner Judy: General Debates 
Turner Judy: General Debates 
[Volume:618;Page:14404] 
JUDY TURNER (United Future) 
: 
 New Zealand’s rate of family breakdown is a major concern. Current statistics indicate that one in three marriages will end in divorce and of these approximately half involve children. A further 45 percent of New Zealand children are born to parents who are not married which suggests that the real rate of breakdown is higher than the divorce figures indicate. Some families handle separation well and the parents are able to handle disputes in a way that shields children from conflict. But sadly recent social research highlights that for many families who do not handle separations well a significant measure of psychological and developmental damage is done to children. 
Not only do children frequently experience considerable distress during the first year of their parents’ separation but longitudinal studies tell us that negative outcomes of increased rates of school dropout a lack of educational achievement socioeconomic disadvantage and relationship breakdown can follow the children who experience painful family break-ups right through into their adult years. Recent visiting speakers to New Zealand have told us that children of divorced parents are up to 300 percent more likely to have significant mental health problems and that the children’s relationships with the parent they do not live with which is often their father takes a huge toll. This relationship is hugely important particularly for boys. A number of children find themselves in an environment where parents are openly hostile which is obviously most damaging. However studies also indicate that even more common yet still a major detriment to children’s development is the situation where parents mutually disengage. Parents in this situation tend to resort to what is called parallel parenting where two sets of rules apply depending on where the child is staying at any given time. While the risks are high it is not an inevitability that parental separation will have damaging consequences for children. Research and experience show that to the extent that conflict can be minimised or avoided and children are protected from it the opportunities for them to have a healthy development can be advanced. 
In addition to Family Court counselling services numbers of overseas jurisdictions particularly through the US and Canada have well-established parent education programmes for parents who are separating. These programmes educate parents about the potential impacts of separation on their children; help parents refocus their attention on the best interests of their children; give parents skills to manage their conflict and cooperate with each other in providing consistent boundaries and discipline for their children; and also provide an idea of what parents can expect from the Family Court process. These courses generally comprise two to three sessions of about 2 hours each and parents can attend separately. 
Already a pilot programme called Children in the Middle is being run by the Family Court Association of the North Shore in line with recent recommendations of the Law Commission that such parent education programmes should be introduced into New Zealand. The goals of this programme on the North Shore are fourfold: that children are made the first priority; that the impact of parental separation on children is minimised; that parents learn positive communication strategies with both their ex-partner and children; and that families make better use of counselling and mediation services that are offered by the court. 
Well I am impressed by this pilot and the commitment of volunteers to see the intervention happen in the lives of these families at an early stage. It is my vision that this initiative would move beyond the pilot stage and become a mandatory part of the Family Court process. As a result I have drawn up a member’s bill that would see all parties seeking a parenting order—following the passage of the Care of Children Bill—attend a parent education programme before their hearing is set down for trial. Like Family Court counselling arrangements parents would also be free to attend at an earlier stage but these measures would ensure that parents take a few hours out to learn about the process and to stop and consider what they can do to ensure that children are not as detrimentally affected as they have been in the past. Those involved in the pilot scheme tell me that almost all of those who have initially been reluctant to attend the sessions say afterwards that they would wholeheartedly recommend them to others. 
I have read that other parties are yet to consider what early intervention schemes can be employed to prevent negative cycles of family breakdown youth justice problems and family violence. I am pleased to say that implementation of this bill would see another plank of United Future’s policy of focusing on prevention rather than merely throwing more and more resources into the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff. Along with my United Future colleagues I am looking forward to this bill being drawn from the ballot. I particularly look forward to seeing this important initiative being placed on the agenda in the hope that it is one that all of us in the interests of seeing our families and communities change for the better will get behind. 
The debate having concluded the motion lapsed.