Keeping kids safe
Children's early years are vital to their long-term development; they are also the time children are most at risk.
All families want to do their best by raising their children in a healthy, safe and nurturing environment, but some families are more vulnerable and need additional support. From experience we know that the earlier families get support, the better off their children are in the long term. Our focus will be on getting this help to all families who need support but with a particular emphasis on families with children aged under two years.
Never Ever Shake a Baby
The Government recently announced a set of initiatives to further protect vulnerable infants, including a new campaign reminding people to Never Ever Shake a Baby. The initiatives are designed to help protect our children aged under two years and feature advertising, new-parent education, community-worker support for abused children and for families, and protection of abuse victims. It focuses on new parents (especially young men) and it is expected to reach up to 5,000 new parents a year.
In 2009/2010, we will:
- put Child, Youth and Family social workers in six hospitals around the country
- develop multiagency plans to protect hospitalised children on their release
- run a multimedia awareness campaign.
Promoting child development
When there is a problem in a family we need to resolve it quickly. Parent support and development programmes such as Family Start, Parents as First Teachers (PAFT) and Home Interaction Programme for Parents and Youngsters (HIPPY) are delivered across the Waikato Region to ensure parents have easy access to community-based support networks appropriate to their needs.
Responding when we're needed
Differential Response means we can respond more creatively to families' needs when they come to the attention of Child, Youth and Family and we can work more closely with social service providers in the community. We work with organisations to support families who don't need our help but who would benefit from community-based social services. In the Waikato we have partnered with over 20 community agencies to deliver services to those families who don't need our help, but would benefit from community-based social services
Community agencies deliver services across a range of issues including family violence, parenting issues, sexual abuse, coping with stress and alcohol and drug abuse.
Violence-free relationships
There is an increased awareness of family violence and of how to access services and support to help build violence-free family relationships. We are committed to making sure families in our region are safe. Our White Ribbon Day promotion, as part of the campaign against family violence, communicates the 'It's OK to ask for help' message. Together with the New Zealand Police, the Hamilton Abuse Intervention Project and other government and non-government organisations, we will continue to actively promote family violence prevention and intervention services.
