Friday, 2 September 2016

For more than two decades, the primary focus of governments in New Zealand has been workfare, not welfare. Welfare itself has become ever more targeted, especially under the social investment approach:

"A social investment approach using actuarial valuations and evidence of what works will identify the best way of targeting early interventions, to ensure that vulnerable children receive the care and support they need, when they need it."

The Treasury writes: "Social investment is an approach which seeks to improve the lives of New Zealanders by applying rigorous and evidence-based investment practices to social services." The four key indicators of higher risk for children aged up to 14 years identified by Treasury are: having a CYF finding of abuse or neglect, being mostly supported by benefits since birth, having a parent with a prison or community sentence, and having a mother with no formal qualifications. What Treasury avoids saying is that poverty is the principal indicator for higher risk for children.

To support the "investment approach", the Government is rewriting the social security legislation. The Social Security Legislation Rewrite Bill is not as benign as its proponents claim. In NZCCSS's analysis, "The underlying focus of the Bill and current approach to social security is one built on driving people towards paid employment and a highly targeted and punitive approach to incentives, sanctions and income support."

In the 2016 "Investing in children" summit presenters will share their own experiences of the Government's social investment approach, while others will suggest alternative investment approaches that would genuinely put children at the centre.

Related Links

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Summit Day Outline
Summit Day 2015 PDF