Action - Review care and support for disabled children

The action outlined below will help achieve this outcome. This work was completed under the existing Disability Action Plan. 

8. Priority: Reduce the number of disabled children and adults who are victims of violence, abuse or neglect

8 A: Review the current care and support processes for disabled children who are (or are likely to be) subject to a voluntary out-of-home placement under sections 141 or 142 of the Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act 1989 to establish whether they are being treated equitably and fairly, and in their best interests and, if not, to provide advice on changes needed to legislation, operational policy, operational delivery and/or monitoring and enforcement.

Update on progress to September 2018

Status: Blue - Action Completed in August 2016

Action Milestones:

Public Consultation Plan and Consultation Document drafted and submitted for Ministers' approval [complete]

• The summary consultation findings and the research report prepared by the Donald Beasley Institute on the experiences of young people who have been in out-of-home care have been publically released and are available on the Disabled Children Project webpage - https://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/consultations/placement/index.html

Carry out wider public/stakeholder consultation, and use this information to develop options for change [complete]

• Many of the concerns raised by submitters during the consultation for the Review have been addressed in the recommendations of the Expert Panel for Modernising Child, Youth and Family in its final report ‘Investing in New Zealand’s Children and their Families’.

Consider options for change [complete]

• The Government has endorsed a number of the Expert Panel’s recommendations that will affect disabled children in care, including repealing sections 141 and 142 of the Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act 1989 and establishing a new support pathway within the statutory care system which will be available to families caring for disabled children.
• The Government has agreed to extend the current provision in the Act around upholding children’s rights to be involved in decision-making. This includes making it a requirement to take active steps to engage children and young people who experience barriers to participation related to disability, language and age.
• In related work, the Donald Beasley Institute was provided with a grant by the Ministry of Social Development to develop a resource on how disabled children’s voices/perspectives can be fostered and enabled alongside those of disabled adults in developing and implementing legislation and policies affecting people with disabilities. The Donald Beasley Institute is finalising the resource with the Office for Disability Issues.

Lead: Ministry of Social Development

DPOs Lead: Kāpo Māori