Early Years - giving children the best possible start in life

18 September 2006
For Immediate Release
 

A package of services aimed at helping children achieve the best possible start in life is receiving over $7 million of Government funding, Social Development and Employment Minister David Benson-Pope announced today.

The Early Years package will establish seven Early Years Service Hubs, provide eight service co-ordinators dedicated to helping teenage parents and their children, extend the Early Start and Family Start programmes and trial a programme called 'Roots of Empathy'.

'We know that effective, early interventions for vulnerable families and their children have positive long term, wide ranging effects," said Mr Benson-Pope.

'They are key to improving children's health and education, they reduce the likelihood of them offending as adults or becoming unemployed long term, and help reduce family abuse or neglect.

'We also know from talking with communities that services for families need to be better co-ordinated, and we need to help vulnerable families access and stay connected with the support that is available.

'This package helps to address these issues. It builds on existing services, like Well Child, Early Childhood Education, and SKIP (Strategies for Parents, Information for Parents), and makes them more effective by improving their co-ordination and helping families to access them.

'It is a key part of our focus on early intervention to make sure children and their family or whanau have the support they need, and don't fall through the cracks."

The seven Early Years Service Hubs will be established in high need areas to provide a central point where families can access a range of services, from ante natal care through to parenting support and education. The Early Years worker attached to each hub will help reach families and keep them connected to core services.

Teenage Parent Service Co-ordinators will be introduced in areas with high rates or numbers of teenage births.

'Teenage parents and their children are a high risk group that benefit from early interventions that are tailored to their needs," Mr Benson-Pope said.

'The eight teenage parent service co-ordinators will work with young people to identify their needs, and those of their children, and put them in touch with groups and agencies who can support them."

The Early Years package also increases Government's investment in the successful Early Start and Family Start programmes. These home based services strengthen and support vulnerable families through intensive case management. They work with the families and a wide range of services to improve the families overall circumstances, giving children the best possible start in life.

The final aspect of the Early Years package is the Roots of Empathy programme which will be trialled in up to ten New Zealand schools. This programme, already operating in Canadian schools, has been found to reduce violence and improve empathy or pro-social behaviours. The programme involves a parent from the local community bringing their baby into the classroom over a school year so children can learn about developmental stages of a baby's first year, their needs, and how the baby communicates its needs to the parent. By observing the interaction between parent and baby the children learn to understand others' feelings, to put names to those feelings and how to resolve problems.

Contact: Kelly Gunn (Media Assistant)
Phone: (04) 471 9878 or 021 227 9878