Statement of Intent 2010-2013

This Statement of Intent reflects the work planned by the Families Commission, Te Kōmihana ā Whānau, for 2010–2013. The Commission exists to represent the views and issues of families and whānau in New Zealand; it is our firm belief that when families flourish, so does all of society.

The Minister of Social Development has signalled the importance of the Families Commission as a source of independent research and evidence upon which to base policies that impact upon families and whānau. We look forward to a continued close relationship in this endeavour by providing independent research and advice in the key areas that have been signalled as priorities.

These areas include debt issues for Pacific communities; teenage pregnancy and parenting; the issue of parents with complex needs who have had children removed from their care; and improving the accessibility of out-of-school care for parents.

It is widely known that Pacific communities suffer disproportionately in times of economic downturn. It is important to understand what factors contribute to problematic debt for Pacific peoples. We will develop an in-depth understanding of these issues in order to advise the Minister appropriately.

New Zealand has one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates amongst developed countries, second only to the United States. In the year to March 2008, 5,010 babies were born to mothers under the age of 19. Early parenthood has far-reaching physical, emotional and social consequences for mothers and children. For the child these can include an increased risk of antenatal complications, low birth weight and high mortality.

For the young parents these can include failure to complete education, socio-economic disadvantage, welfare dependence, relationship difficulties, maternal depression and less competent parenting. We will seek to understand the reasons behind the high rates of parenthood amongst young teens in specific regions of New Zealand and consider what support would be needed for the teenage parents to prevent subsequent repeat pregnancies.

There are a number of families in New Zealand who have had children removed by child protective services, who then have additional children. Ensuring the safety of all children within these families is vital. We will draw on the international research literature to identify and consider options for protecting additional children, including the provision of support to families who might still be addressing complex issues.

Out-of-school care is increasingly in demand with the majority of families needing to have both parents in the workforce. We will look at factors of accessibility, cost and coverage to inform future policy.

We will also continue to develop our focus on whānau, as required by the Families Commission Act 2003, through the implementation of our Whānau Strategy. Our work in the area of family violence will also continue. The very successful ‘It’s not OK’ campaign and ‘White Ribbon’ advocacy will be priorities as they have already demonstrated an ability to reduce public tolerance of family violence and improve reporting. Our focus will be to strengthen our messages around encouraging people to take action. We will continue, too, to look for ways of improving service delivery for families and whānau and to be an advocate, as our Act requires us to be, for family and whānau issues generally.

This is the last foreword I shall be writing for a Families Commission’s Statement of Intent. The Commission is thriving in its role as independent adviser to the Government and is in good heart as it goes into the next exciting period of research and advocacy for New Zealand families and whānau.

Dr Jan Pryor
Chief Commissioner