Policy Overview

Children are our nation’s most important resource. They need to be nurtured, respected and loved. It is now widely recognised that the pre-school years of a child’s life are the most important years for learning and development. We must ensure that during these vital years children receive the emotional, spiritual, intellectual and physical support that they deserve. By doing so, we will pave the way forward for a prosperous, fair and strong society for all New Zealanders.

The costs of early intervention and support are far less, to both the individuals involved and society as a whole, than the cost of supporting those who have fallen through the system. As a nation we need to shift from dealing with problems to preventing them.

United Future Will:

• Fund Plunket to ensure all children receive the recommended eight well child health checks in the first five years of life.

• Adequately resource the Parents as First Teachers programme to guarantee all at risk children and their families a place on the programme and progressively expand the programme to include all families.
• Establish new child health clinics within family service centres, to provide comprehensive health screening programmes.

• Adequately resource the Department of Child Youth and Family Services to provide the needed assistance to families.

• Require Department of Child Youth and Family Services, Police and other agencies to take a co-ordinated and proactive approach in cases of physical, emotional or sexual abuse.
• Guarantee all pre-school children over the age of three years, the right to access up to 15 hours per week early childhood education.

• Expand the current vision and hearing tests in schools to include years 1, 3, 5 and 7.

• Increase funding for the current study support centres in schools, for after school supervision and homework support, and examine ways in which this support might be extended to other groups.

• Involve people receiving the 55 plus benefit or those who qualify for New Zealand superannuation to assist with early childhood, school, after school and school holiday activities. United Future will acknowledge participants’ valuable contribution by providing a community volunteer rebate on taxes.

• Give strong support for the advocacy role of the Commissioner for Children

United Future Parliamentary Office: Bowen House, Lambton Quay, Wellington
Email: Phone: (04) 471 9410