Failing vulnerable children not an option

Child Youth and Family is a mess from top to bottom. At the peak is a management chain that demands reactive results to incidents after they’ve happened.

Propping them up are the social workers – called to the profession by a genuine desire to help New Zealand’s most vulnerable; swamped under paperwork most of the time.

Underneath are the children who have no choice about their involvement with the state.

Yet their suffering is compounded by a system that does not prioritise them – something that most of their families never did either.

That is why this report from an expert panel charged with overhauling the agency, and a final one due in December, have to be the last.

Since its inception, Child, Youth and Family (CYF) has been under review ‘‘almost continuously’’ and has been restructured at least 14 times.

Despite that, the data shows it has remained near ineffective when it comes to caring for our children.

If Social Development Minister Anne Tolley gets her way, CYF will be rebuilt from the ground up.

It’s likely she will, and although the Government will undoubtedly expect better results for their money in the long term, the changes needed will require significant costs up front.

We can expect these to be in the high hundreds of millions – possibly billions – and spread out over successive budgets.

But how exactly did one of the most important, and politically sensitive, of government departments find itself in this state? A reactionary culture is not only found within CYF – successive Governments are guilty of it.

High-level reports all followed the death of the Aplin children, James Whakaruru, Nia Glassie and the Kahui twins – names etched into the consciences of most New Zealanders.

Systems changed after each case, but only in isolation.

Commissioned by Tolley and led by senior civil servant Paula Rebstock, the latest report builds a business case for massive change. It will only stand out if that change is implemented.

Because the data, at present, is bleak.

By the time children with a care placement who were born in the 12 months to June 1991 had reached the age of 21, almost 90 per cent were on a benefit. More than 25 per cent were on a benefit with a child. More than 30 per cent had a youth justice referral by the age of 18. Can we be surprised when any support network they have is stripped from them on their 17th birthday?

An overhaul of CYF is one thing, but any gains will be lost if it finds itself without proper scrutiny.