Stand working to reinstate children’s villages
Stand Children’s Services will be working with the Government to reinstate the Roxburgh and Otaki children’s villages, chief executive Fiona Inkpen says.
Inkpen said it was hoped this could be achieved in one to two years.
This follows Stand’s announcement on May 15 that both Roxburgh and Otaki villages would cease operation at the end of June, with the loss of 63 jobs and services to 380 children a year.
However, Stand believed the service was needed, she said.
‘‘Stand will do everything it can to work with government to reinstate the Roxburgh and Otaki Children’s Villages so the residential traumafocused treatment service for children can be available in both regions, as it is in Stand’s other five regions.’’
Oranga Tamariki is the Government ministry responsible for the wellbeing of children, specifically those at risk.
Its partnerships general manager Peter Galvin said Oranga Tamariki was working with Stand to better understand how its services contributed to children and their families’ wellbeing. Galvin said Oranga Tamariki put a significant portion of its funding – $16.7 million of $18.1m – into Stand’s services and was therefore committed ‘‘to carry on that work’’, he said.
‘‘Stand’s services (including the village-based five week programme) are also part of a wider mix of services that Oranga Tamariki funds across the country for children and their families outside of the core care and protection system.’’
Clutha District Mayor Bryan Cadogan and Central Otago District Mayor Tim Cadogan launched an online appeal yesterday for people to register their support and protest at the Roxburgh village closure.
They felt strongly that the Government had created the issue by not increasing funding since 2009, and should provide the $1.5m a year needed to keep the facility open.