“The time is right for all political parties to come together to improve the lives of tens of thousands of children.”

There needs to be a groundswell of public support for reform to encourage Government to adopt the critical changes needed.

Aotearoa desperately needs a new and better approach for supporting parents who are doing it tough while performing the vital role raising children.

It is widely acknowledged that there are inadequacies in the current design of the Welfare System in Aotearoa-New Zealand.

What will it take to ensure that all children living in Aotearoa-New Zealand have all their wellbeing needs met?

With loan capital provided by Kiwibank, and partnering with Budgeting Services, Ngā Tangata Microfinance provides no fees, no interest loans to qualifying low income families.

CPAG urges Government to redouble its KiwiBuild efforts and to commit more money to building state housing in response to this shortage.

Families going without food on a regular basis is dangerously on the verge of becoming normal in Aotearoa-New Zealand.

More than ever families will need financial support if job losses occur, or work hours are reduced along with spending power.

In Aotearoa, where it is legal to charge 500% interest, and then charge administration fees on top of that, having a low income and borrowing money is very high risk.

"Child poverty will not be solved until there is a safe, ethical credit environment for low-income consumers in Aotearoa."

“New Zealanders would not want hundreds of thousands of dollars spent pursuing low-income parents living honestly while Government Ministries try to uphold their right to treat beneficiaries unfairly.”

This year we are calling on policy-makers and politicians reform the welfare system so that it is fit for families in the 21st century.

As a country we should see that every every Kiwi child has the right to live in a home which is warm, safe and secure.

Urgently needed are policy changes to vastly improve the lives of our worst off children, long before the results are presented.

Families in Aotearoa-New Zealand need a system that provides compassion and understanding when they are faced with their greatest need.

Working families on low incomes have been particularly hard hit by past cuts to the income threshold from which families’ payments start to reduce.

Are you a current member of CPAG and passionate about the well-being of New Zealand children? Would you like to play a bigger part in CPAG's work?

Just as in the UK, in New Zealand welfare sanctions have been in place for a long time and have been used much more aggressively in recent years.

“I am very pleased to see that across Aotearoa-New Zealand, there is an intensity of focus on reducing child poverty and improving child wellbeing.”

Any approach to improving mental health outcomes need a strong focus on reducing poverty and deprivation for pregnant women, young children and their families.

Professor Asher will join a cohort of highly respected professionals working across various fields such as social policy, human rights, welfare, justice, economics, Māori wellbeing and health.

Budget predictions of a $3.8 billion surplus show that resources exist to provide children living in the worst of poverty the real, substantial lift they need over the next six months.

CPAG joins with families nationwide in asking that the new Government delivers hope for low-income families and their children in this budget.

While it has been indicated that the 1 July changes are just the start, families are desperate now, and cannot wait.

Find out what the impact of Budget 2018 will be for families and children, in Child Poverty Action Group’s 2018 Post Budget presentations.

Chronic poor physical health in children can lead to problems lasting into adulthood, and poor dental health is no exception to the rule.

A child-centred re-envisioning of tax policy is required urgently.

Professor O’Neill’s research and advocacy work to build a more equitable and inclusive education system has been central to CPAG’s on-going campaign to end child poverty and improve education outcomes.

The new report looks at how new and current legislation could be improved to ensure that all children’s rights are protected and that they are able to thrive.

CPAG has been working alongside Action for Children and Youth Aotearoa to lead the development of an overarching submission from a wide range of groups with expertise on children.

If passed, the Education Amendment Bill could put schools serving income poor and materially deprived communities at risk of losing funding they desperately need.

Professor Asher, a committee member and health spokesperson for CPAG for 20 years, on Tuesday received the New Zealand Medical Association’s Chair’s Award for 2017.

The celebration acknowledges all the partners, associates and supporters who have enabled NTM to reach these milestones, making a real difference for whānau and families.

A genuinely free education will relieve financial pressures on low-income households, and improve the likelihood that children will attend school more regularly.

“Many working families on low wages are facing increased financial pressure as they struggle to meet housing costs, and food insecurity is a growing problem.”

Childhood illnesses, transience and a disastrous rate of homelessness in New Zealand are attributable to a desperate lack of housing required to meet the needs of a growing population.

A nutritious lunch for every child would go a long way toward ensuring that all children have the same chance for good educational outcomes, and support healthy development.

By the time the Families Package comes in, families’ costs, such as rent, may have increased yet further.

Fair indexation of WFF to reflect Cost-Price Index inflation and also average wage inflation is critical to the success of child poverty reduction policies.

The comprehensive multi-tiered poverty lines will provide a broader picture of the depth of child poverty than any single measure could.

It is vital that this Inquiry addresses child poverty as a preventable cause of mental health problems.

More money needs to be channelled to the families currently falling below the very low 40% poverty line. There is a way to do this without creating impossible cost pressures.

CPAG’s new report documents damaging changes to the welfare system since 2008.

There is more work still to do for all New Zealand children to really thrive, but the Government has made a very credible start.

While charities provide vital, immediate limited support for children and their families, real permanent change requires long-term commitment from government.

New Zealand’s children’s advocacy community agrees that the time is now to create a strong, enduring and non-partisan commitment to reducing child poverty.

Christmas is fast approaching, and charities are gearing up to support families in need, with the expectation that the numbers of people requiring financial assistance and food bank help will soar.

Vastly improving legislation around the quality and safety of rental homes is imperative if the wellbeing of children is to improve.

“For the last almost 25 years, since the New Zealand Government first committed to the principles of UNCROC, we have failed to take our responsibilities to that Convention seriously.”

We can expect to see some immediate improvements to income support through Working for Families, as Labour has indicated in an agreement with the Green Party.

In finding loans as declarable income, it further reduces the ability of low-income families to support their children.

CPAG urges the new government to make a firm commitment to the low-income working families, by ensuring that their ability to earn extra is not compromised by higher abatement rates.

With a new government undecided, Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) urges participants in coalition talks to prioritise child wellbeing policies.

Between sanctions and paid work hours criteria tied to children’s payments, we have a system that directly discriminates against sole parents, and mothers in particular.

The Tick for Kids movement is supported by a large group of organisations dedicated to improving child well-being, including Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG).

It is crucial that that the education system is resourced adequately so that children from all socioeconomic backgrounds can flourish.

Families are living in substandard housing that is causing alarming rates of illness, particularly among young children, and many do not have a home at all.

“Right now, 14% of children in New Zealand are living in material hardship. Reducing that percentage figure by 10 points - to 4% - would mean 110,000 less children living at the extreme end of material deprivation.”

Building on the 2016 event, this Summit will focus on the Government’s proclaimed ‘social investment approach’ to welfare reform.

“It is worrying that so many are in hardship and that is impacting negatively on their education.”

A deeper look at the tragic reality for many renting in New Zealand, that houses are often not maintained to a standard that is healthy and safe, leading the way to prolonged illness among tenants.

CPAG urges all major political parties to agree to reform Working for Families as matter of top priority.

Unlike many parts of the world, in New Zealand there is no legal limit on interest rates or total cost of credit. Without such consumer protection, it's very easy for families to get into financial trouble.

Increased financial stress on families due to accumulating debt and unmet needs, has a lasting effect on mental and physical well-being. The result is often seen in incidences of youth offending.

CPAG says that unless the Government can actually improve on the decile system, they should leave it in place.

Each year, there are around 40,000 hospital admissions in New Zealand of children who have preventable illnesses that are linked to poverty.

By raising core benefits and the earned income threshold at which benefits begin to abate, there is a better chance for all families on benefits to begin to get ahead and to work their way toward financial independence.

While both National and Labour policies will reduce child poverty a little, this is not the big boost that is needed.

"For ten years we have argued that WFF is a flawed programme in its design and we have been especially alarmed at the silent erosion under National’s policies since 2010."

Our most vulnerable children are being failed by poor policies on housing and the evidence that a much more elaborate response is needed is stacking up.

“A comprehensive approach to supporting families needs to be developed across a range of fields. The narrow current social investment approach will not do that.”

The upcoming election provides an opportunity for all political parties to put the wellbeing of all New Zealand’s children at the centre of their policies.

Homelessness cannot be allowed to become the status quo and it is important that policy change remains on the public and political agenda. More must be done.

The long-term impact of poverty on children’s health can be severe, and the situation for many children has become desperate.

CPAG asks for sanitary product manufacturers to reduce their profit margins for single purchases in order to be socially responsible, and for the Government to ensure that all families have their income needs met.

While the small offerings show some improvement for around 50,000 children in severe poverty, another 100,000 to150,000 children will not benefit enough from the changes.

“This year our children deserve a sea change. In previous budgets there has been little commitment to alleviating hardship among our worst-off children.”

CPAG joins with families nationwide in hoping the Government delivers for children in this budget.

It is time to stop putting the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff as a solution. Child poverty is a clear contributor to mental health problems.

CPAG believes it is possible to halve the number of these hospital admissions, and in addition reduce the chances of preventable illness harming our tamariki in the long term.

These cuts have affected families in low-paid, full-time work and are quite contrary to Bill English’s claim to want to look after "hard-working" New Zealanders.”

CPAG says that the Government needs to set more meaningful housing targets to improve the current situation in New Zealand.

The changes must be comprehensive, and benefit all families in need - not just some.

The creation of this new target signifies the Government is acknowledging the underlying causative issues for preventable childhood health problems, including poverty.

There are more than 40,000 hospital admissions of children in New Zealand every year with illnesses that often have their roots in poverty and unhealthy housing.

“Abandoning decile based resource allocation without a sufficiently precise and educationally valid replacement is like throwing the baby out with the bathwater.”

Promises of a few hundred additional social housing units in a few years time have been vague at best.

“It is no wonder we are seeing more low-income working parents depend on food banks and other charities for survival.”

The new Oranga Tamariki (Ministry for Vulnerable Children) should have a much wider vision and extend its focus to all children in need.

A continued focus on prioritising debt reduction will inhibit the boldness Government needs to tackle poverty and inequality.

A shortage in funding leads inevitably to increases in fees that add financial pressure to parents who are already on a tight budget.

The link between poverty and poor mental and physical health among children, whose opportunities to thrive are compromised, is very real.

Significantly reducing the number of hospital admissions for preventable illness among children should be a national goal.