Promise of extra support for mothers
WELLINGTON: Every pregnant woman would be given $3000 of extra support — such as additional parental leave or a longer postnatal stay — under a National Party proposal.
Expecting parents would be offered a free GP screening visit and those deemed to have higher needs — up to 10% — would be allocated up to $6000.
The funding would not be a direct payment, but would allow parents to seek help from eligible services during the first 1000 days of their child’s life.
The Best Start payment of $60 a week introduced by the Labourled Government this term would be means tested.
National leader Judith Collins announced the promise yesterday afternoon while unveiling the party’s sevenpart plan to support parents and children. The party has costed the policy at nearly $200 million a year.
In a statement, social investment spokeswoman Louise Upston said the payment would empower parents.
‘‘National’s bold plan would give parents commissioning power over the support they need.
‘‘This new funding, allocated per child rather than directly to services, will mean that parental demand will determine which services receive how much of the additional money.’’
The funding could be used on extended postnatal stay, additional parental leave or more early childhood education hours.
It could also be spent on a range of services including: specialist support, GP home visits and membership in parenting groups such as Space, Play Centre and Te Kohanga Reo.
Organisations funded by the government such as Plunket would keep their existing baseline funding.
National would allow both parents to claim paid leave at the same time and would guarantee all new mothers a three day stay in their postnatal facility.
It would also set up a National Centre for Child Development and issue an electronic ‘‘child passport’’ to keep track of babies’ milestones. — RNZ