April 01, 2015
Shake-up for Child, Youth and Family
Former Maori Party chief of staff Helen Leahy has been included on a panel to lead the overhaul of Child, Youth and Family.
Social Development Minister Anne Tolley says the panel, led by former Commerce Commission chair Paula Rebstock, will oversee the development and implementation of a new operating model for the service.
She says the model needs to focus on the needs of children, rather than the needs of the system.
Ms Tolley indicated she was unhappy with the modernization strategy developed by CYF, and wants to go beyond tinkering around the edges and small-scale change.
She says it’s an opportunity to inject fresh thinking and external expertise, and examine where CYF sits in a changing landscape which includes the implementation of the Vulnerable Children’s Act, Children’s Teams and Whanau Ora.
Other panel members include Police Commissioner Mike Bush, the Social Development Ministry’s chief science advisor Professor Ritchie Poulton, and Duncan Dunlop, the chief executive of Who Cares? Scotland, an independent advocacy charity for young people in care.
Previous reviews of child protections systems such as Puao Te Ata Tu have included a strong Maori element, given the disproportionate number of Maori children and young people in care.
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