Challenges Still Ahead For Whānau Ora

“We were looking for a budget that would enable opportunities to address hardship, to nurture aspiration, and to foster innovation - it is unclear at this time whether this budget will deliver on our expectations,” said Helen Leahy, Pouārahi for Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu.

“While we are pleased that the baseline funding ($136m) has been provided; which recognises the differences made through investing in whānau, the big challenge ahead will be to identify any investment across agencies to lift outcomes for whānau in a meaningful way.

“Ten years after it was introduced the operational funding for Whānau Ora has been consolidated in this budget, by bringing together previous funding adjustments recognised in budgets between 2010 and 2020; including the recent COVID-19 funding. We appreciate that Whānau Ora continues to be recognised as fundamental to whānau wellbeing.

“There have been exceptional demands on each of the three Commissioning Agencies over the last two months. For Te Waipounamu, an additional 19,000 whānau members have sought support from us; many facing job loss and insecurity; and impacted by significant anxieties around power, heating and food as they approach the long winters ahead.

“We are determined to keep searching out opportunities for whānau to experience the sea-change they require, in order to be solution-focused; to carve out a more secure foundation.

“We welcome the support for Māori trade training which is about reaffirming students’ identity as Māori and giving them the tools they need to create and lead their own futures. In the research Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu undertook into He Toki ki te Mahi, we revealed that for every $1 spent in that initiative there would be $7 lifetime value.

“We are also keen to partner with government on economic stimulus measures to ensure reach and relevance to whānau; to support whānau not just through the response and recovery; but also to be learners, earners and leaders in shaping a new tomorrow.

“We are alert to the complex and overlapping layers of systemic disadvantage that whānau Māori already experienced prior to COVID-19 and are unwavering in our commitment to whānau self-determination as the agent of change.

“We remain resolute in the need to respond to both the direct impacts of COVID19 and transition to a more equitable, sustainable and just post-COVID19 world.”

You can view "Measuring the Economic Impact of Whānau Ora Programmes: He Toki ki te Mahi Case Study" here.

© Scoop Media