Hon Paula Bennett
Minister for Social Development, Employment & Youth Affairs
EMBARGOED until release 1pm
27 July 2011
Media Statement

Green Paper for Vulnerable Children

Social Development Minster Paula Bennett joined Sir Peter Gluckman, Green Paper Champions, MPs and the public in Aotea Square today to launch the Green Paper for vulnerable children.

“Too many children are being hurt, abused, neglected and badly let down but we can change this and now is time to act,” says Ms Bennett.

“The decisions this country needs to make about our children are bigger than politics and electoral cycles and the Green Paper focuses on child-centred decisions that will fundamentally change the way we care for children,” says Ms Bennett.

The Green Paper is a discussion document which outlines ideas the Government wants to test with the public before forming a Children’s Action Plan.

The Government poses solutions to complex issues facing children and then asks the public to consider the questions that are raised by those issues, including:

• When should adults who care for vulnerable children be prioritised for services over others?
• How can the Government encourage communities to take more responsibility for the wellbeing of their children?
• How much monitoring of vulnerable children should the Government allow?

“What it doesn’t do is tell people what to think. It is intentionally written in a way that lets people make up their own mind,” say Ms Bennett.

“This is a genuinely open consultation process, giving New Zealanders a chance to have a real say in how we protect our children,” says Ms Bennett.

“Some of the issues in this paper will make people uncomfortable, they should be uncomfortable, they should be angry,” says Ms Bennett.

“Too many of our children are needlessly suffering and it doesn’t have to be that way. Now is the time for New Zealanders to be part of the solution,” says Ms Bennett.

The Green Paper for Vulnerable Children can be found online at:

www.childrensactionplan.govt.nz

www.facebook.com/greenpaperonchildren

ENDS

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