Left further behind: how policies fail the poorest children in New Zealand A Child Poverty Action Group Monograph Edited by M.Claire Dale, Mike O'Brien and Susan St John Child Poverty Action Group (Inc) (CPAG) is a non-profit group formed in 1994, and made up of academics, activists, practitioners and supporters. CPAG has a strong education and research role which enables it to contribute to better informed social policy to support children in Aotearoa New Zealand, specifically children who live in poverty. CPAG believes that our high rate of child poverty is not the result of economic necessity, but is due to policy neglect and a flawed ideological emphasis on economic incentives. Through research, CPAG highlights the position of tens of thousands of New Zealand children, and promotes public policies that address the underlying causes of the poverty they live in. If you are not already supporting CPAG and you would like to make a donation to assist with ongoing work, please contact us at the address below or through our website: www.cpag.org.nz. Disclaimer: This publication is intended to provide accurate and adequate information on the matters contained herein and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. However, it has been written, edited and published and made available to all persons and entities strictly on the basis that its authors, editors and publishers are fully excluded from any liability or responsibility by all or any of them in any way to any person or entity for anything done or omitted to be done by any person or entity in reliance, whether totally or partially, on the contents of this publication for any purpose whatsoever. Left Further Behind: How New Zealand is failing its children. ISBN 0-9582263-9-3 © September 2011 Child Poverty Action Group Inc. PO Box 5611 Wellesley Street Auckland 1141. www.cpag.org.nz iii iv Preface Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) publishes this report on the state of New Zealand children and the policies that affect them at a very worrying time in our history. Children and families have been affected badly not only by a protracted recession but also by two major earthquakes. The economic outlook remains uncertain and the evidence from social agencies is that they have never been busier in dealing with social distress among our families and youth. This report supplements the series of CPAG publications examining policies as they affect children, and recommending ways forward that would provide better outcomes. The first two major publications: Our Children: The Priority for Policy, 2001; and the update of that in 2003, were followed by Room for improvement: Current New Zealand housing policies and their implications for our children. Cut price kids, in 2004, challenged the Government’s “Working for Families” (WFF) policies to work for children. In 2005, Hard to swallow brought foodbank use in New Zealand to public attention, and Workfare: Not fair for kids? looked at how the WFF policies were actually impacting on the poorest families. Three years later, in 2008, Left behind: How social and income inequality damage New Zealand children, took a wider view across the macroeconomy to explore the lives of children, and found that in many areas, we had become world leaders in the worst outcomes, including child health and child harm. In What work counts? in 2010, the impact of so-called “work incentives” on sole parent families was the focus. This was followed in July 2011 with Hunger for Learning, which showed how necessary it is for schools in low income areas to provide food for their children: brains require actual food as well as information. This unfolding reality of continuing and significant hardship for the 200,000 of the poorest children in this country and their families has driven the publication of Left Further Behind, 2011. This latest contribution updates Left Behind (2008) and also broadens the focus to provide new insights into the wide range of issues that affect children. It offers critical analysis of the state of New Zealand children in 2011 and the effectiveness of family and social policy. It provides strong recommendations for the way forward. Much government policy since the advent of 'Rogernomics' in the 1980s has been dangerously narrow and selective in both its definition of work, and its insistence on the singular importance of paid work as the way out of poverty. In Left Behind 2008 we wrote in the preface: CPAG believes that making a paid job the only way to access sufficient income to care for children is flawed and directly damaging to children. Until this ideology is abandoned, New Zealand will continue to suffer from the high economic, social and personal costs of child poverty. Unfortunately, since 2008, intensification of the work-based philosophy, with proposed welfare reforms promising to further impact on the well-being of poor children and their families, has been accompanied by fewer jobs available in the far less favourable economic times. For the sake of New Zealand’s future, CPAG urges the government, politicians and the wider New Zealand community to take the messages of this report seriously. 1 CPAG is fortunate to be able to draw on the experts in each of the fields covered. The editors, Associate Professor Mike O’Brien, Counselling, Human Services and Social Work University of Auckland, Dr M.Claire Dale and Associate Professor Susan St John of the University Auckland, have extensive backgrounds in economic and social policy. In addition to the editors, CPAG members who have contributed chapters are Professor Innes Asher, Dr Nikki Turner, Dr Nicholas Fancourt, Alan Johnson, Dr Vicki Carpenter, Professor Martin Thrupp, Julie Timmins, Donna Wynd, and Dr Steve Poletti. We are also fortunate to have assistance and contributions from Dr Louise Humpage, Mamari Stephens, Dr Teuila Percival, Beth Wood, Andrew Familton, Michael Fletcher, Catriona MacLennan, Frances Joychild, Katie Bach, Dr Simon Denny, Associate Professor Sally Merry, Professor Jenny Ritchie, Lucie Trask, Nicola Slight, Sarah Larson, Caleb McConnell, and John Pearce. We are grateful to Janfrie Wakim, Michael Littlewood, Vicki St John, and our final proof-reader, Sue Osborne, for their skilled assistance. CPAG acknowledges the many helpful comments on drafts of this publication from different sources. While each chapter, and any errors therein, is the sole responsibility of the authors, the recommendations that flow from each chapter are strongly endorsed by CPAG. CPAG also acknowledges the enormous contribution made by Apropos to the presentation of this publication, as well as to previous publications, and to our website. Their ongoing support and occasional critique has been invaluable. Further thanks go to the John McLachlan Charitable Trust and the Clyde Graham Charitable Trust, both administered by the Guardian Trust, which have contributed to the production costs of this publication. CPAG’s publications are available to download, free, from the website: www.cpag.org.nz Our Children: The Priority for Policy 2001; 2003 Room for improvement: Current New Zealand housing policies and their 2003 implications for our children Cut price kids: Does the 2004 “Working for Families” budget work for children? 2004 Hard to swallow: Foodbank use in New Zealand 2005 Workfare: Not fair for kids? 2005 Left behind: How social and income inequality damage New Zealand children 2008 What work counts? Work incentives and sole parent families 2010 Hunger for Learning. Nutritional barriers to children’s education 2011 Left Further Behind: how policies fail for the poorest children in New Zealand 2011 2 Executive Summary In 2008, Child Poverty Action Group produced Left Behind, which reflected the position of children in New Zealand. Three years later, the lack of substantial progress on so many issues facing children in this country leads us to rewrite and update that publication. In this report we reflect what is required to ensure all children have the resources and opportunities to grow and to develop their potential. Recent years and recent policy approaches have focused heavily on supporting, and sometimes forcing, parents (especially lone parents) into paid work. The needs and interests of children require a much broader approach. And in the interests of both children and parents, the work of caring for children needs to be given adequate recognition and support. Children’s wellbeing must be central, whether parents are in paid work or not. The core message of this publication is simple: ALL children, irrespective of the status and position of their parent/carer, are entitled to the best possible support from their parent/s and all New Zealand society. Together, we share responsibility for ensuring that children are given that support. While charity can make a useful contribution to assist and support children and families experiencing particular stresses, it cannot solve the problem of poverty, and poverty is the major problem facing around 200,000 New Zealand children. That solution requires collective action from families and communities; and it requires a commitment from the Government to make investing in our children the highest priority. This publication traverses a wide range of issues affecting our children, including: incomes, health, housing, education, parental support, social hazards, and the lack of job opportunities for young people; and is built around the idea of putting children at the centre of policy decisions. None of the issues can be tackled in isolation.