The aim of the Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act 1989 (the Act) Bill is to begin  to amend the “reforming the system of services for responding to the needs of vulnerable children and young persons, and their families”  [click here] 

This is the first stage of major state care reforms, overhaul, with a new child-centred operating model with a single point of accountability would be in place by the end of March 2017, focusing on prevention, intensive intervention, care support services, transition support and preventing youth offending and reoffending.

The main features of the Bill are:

extending the age of state care and protection to a young person’s 18th birthday;

• ensuring the views of children and young people are taken into account as part of decision making at an individual level and in the development of services and policy;
• supporting the establishment of an independent youth advocacy service; and 
• enabling the broader range of professionals with specialist skills to widen the expertise within the new model to perform some functions under the Act while social workers remained the main professionals responsible for carrying out these functions.

Please read: Children, Young Persons, and Their Families (Advocacy, Workforce, and Age Settings) Amendment Bill

Feedback due: Please send feedback to marilynh@nzno.org.nz  by 22 July 2016.