Media release from Every Child Counts

1000 days to get it right for every child: comments from Minister of Finance and BusinessNZ head welcomed

Every Child Counts welcomes the comments from the Minister of Finance, Hon Bill English, that the government is open to developing a food in schools strategy, as reported in the Weekend Herald.

“We believe there is a need to mitigate the impacts of poverty and then deal with the causes. The Expert Advisory Group (EAG) on Child Poverty has recommended developing a nutrition strategy, which includes food in low decile schools. Food in schools would address the immediate needs of children so that they are nourished and can learn. And while some adults may struggle with the concept of State involvement in the provision of food, children are telling us that it’s exactly what they want,” says Liz Gibbs, Chair of Every Child Counts*.

“During recent consultations with children on the government’s Green Paper for Vulnerable Children, many children told Barnardos that they want healthy, free, food available at school. Similarly, children and youth participating in Save the Children’s Values Exchange said that hunger was the most pressing issue and food in schools was the strategy recommended by the EAG that was most likely to work.

“Every Child Counts is working to promote understanding that effective investment in children delivers significant returns to the economy and society, and that all sectors of society have a part to play in getting it right for children. When it comes to food in schools, we believe there is scope for government to partner with corporates and communities to deliver the programme.

“To this end, we also welcome the comments by BusinessNZ head, Phil O’Reilly, who notes that ‘if New Zealand Inc wants a highly skilled workforce in the future, it can't afford to let thousands of children fail at school because they are hungry, poorly clothed, live in cold, damp houses and suffer from third-world diseases such as rheumatic fever. I agree with the evidence that those countries that are prepared to invest in children in the very early years, 0 to 3, will reap the rewards later on.’

“Poor outcomes associated with child poverty cost at least $6bn per annum and damage the lives of thousands of children. We encourage Minister English and his colleagues to respond positively to the recommendations of the EAG and do all they can to address this issue of national significance,” concludes Liz Gibbs.

Note to Editors: the EAG is accepting public submissions until Friday 12 October via www.occ.org.nz

*Every Child Counts is a coalition of organisations and individuals working to improve the status and wellbeing of NZ children, driven by Barnardos, Plunket, UNICEF, Save the Children, and Ririki. www.everychildcounts.org.nz

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