Together with other organisation based in Aotearoa New Zealand, we’ve been working on the Tick For Kids campaign – a campaign that guides voters who want to see better outcomes for children and young people. We’ve been asking the key political parties, and the results are in!

Our focus area: Care and Protection.

Family for Every Child, VOYCE – Whakarongo Mai and Grandparents Raising Grandchildren came together as part of the Tick 4 Kids movement to put urgent asks to political parties on what needs to happen to improve Aotearoa’s care and protection system. A scorecard detailing political parties’ responses is now available to help the public ‘Tick 4 Kids‘ this election.

Successive governments have failed to deliver on New Zealand’s commitments to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the promises they have made to care-experienced tamariki and rangatahi. This includes the most basic asks for any child or young person – things like stability, protection, a feeling of belonging and to have a say in decisions about them.

The scorecard explores key challenges in the care and protection system: over-representation of Māori tamariki in care; unacceptably high rates of rates of family violence and sexual violence; a lack of safety and protection in state care; unequal access to support and services for children in informal care arrangements;and a need to strengthen systems and accountability.

• We want to see an Aotearoa New Zealand where the Government takes its responsibility for tamariki in care seriously, with the ‘Care & Protection’ scorecard seeking commitments from political parties to improve outcomes for these children and young people. Our key recommendations can be summarised as follows:
• We seek commitment to align legislation, policy, and practice with UNCRC, implementing its recommendations to protect children’s futures.
• We advocate for a system that works in active partnership with tamariki, rangatahi, whānau, communities and tangata whenua to prevent and reduce harm and family separation; and provide quality and culturally appropriate alternative care and support services.
• We emphasise the need for equitable access to support for all children in care, including those outside the formal system.
• We all have a responsibility for the protection of children and wellbeing of our communities. By working towards a future that uplifts all, we can build a better and more equitable society.

Join our calls for future governments to implement these recommendations and live up to its responsibilities and promises to care and protect children, and help all tamariki and rangatahi to live with love and mana. Make sure your vote is a ‘Tick 4 Kids’.

Take Action for Tamariki Webinar

Learn more about the urgent challenges within New Zealand’s care system and the need to work towards better outcomes for all tamariki and rangatahi in this webinar. Featuring panelists from VOYCE-Whakarongo Mai and Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, this discussed the crucial commitments, policies, and practices required to improve outcomes for children who are unable to live in their home of origin, and the actions supporters and allies can take to support these.