NZ Study - School Readiness,  Adversities in Childhood  Experience and Access to  Government Services A Scoping Study on Potential Protective  Factors December 2020

This report is based on the NZ context. It is interesting because Oranga Tamariki, Ministry for Children and the Ministry of Social Development (aka MSD) were involved.

This means that both Oranga Tamariki and MSD know about the experiences of our people beyond anecdotal observations. They have in fact done the research. They have collected, collated and analysed information from our people.

So they know the plight of our people.

My question is:

If they know so much then why do they continue to cause significant harm to children and their parents?

Many see New Zealand as a beautiful country under the leadership of our Prime Minister, Jacinda Adern.

We appear to be a country that treats its people with kindness and compassion including Maori, our indigenous people.

Do not be distracted by the gloss of the advertisements and the smokescreens put up by our government.

When people are told they are ok when they are NOT

By people tasked to protect them

When others nationally and internationally buy into that

That perpetuates the harm

Because the people who are harmed are not believed

They continue to suffer in silence told that they are ok

Everyone believes that there is no problem

So no action is taken

Our government and our government agencies have not been transparent with the United Nations, with the world and with the people they represent especially my people, Maori

Instead, seek the truth from the evidence.

Look at the statistics of poverty, inequity, racism, ableism, violence against children and women, suicide, etc.

And look at the violations of our human rights which are sitting with the United Nations.

We have the following violations. Link here for further information

So my question is:

If they know so much then why do they continue to cause significant harm to their own people?

When we know

When we have the power to make change

And we make the choice

To do nothing

We cause harm to many

Intentionally

Listen up NZ government -

You need to STOP harming us

With urgency

The Report:

This report provides preliminary empirical evidence on the prevalence and nature of potential protective factors that may offset the detrimental effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on indicators of school readiness. These results are generated from an observational study based on the availability and choices made about accessing health care, early childhood education, and social services.

This report has been produced for the Ministry of Social Development with funding from the Children and Families Research Fund www.msd.govt.nz

Authors:

Walsh M.C., Maloney T. and Vaithianathan R., Centre for Social Data Analytics, Auckland University of Technology, and Pereda-Perez P., Oranga Tamariki.

Acknowledgements This report is made possible with funding from the Ministry of Social Development using Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) data collected by the University of Auckland. The data has been accessed and used in accordance with the GUiNZ Data Access Protocol. The research team at Auckland University of Technology acknowledge the collaboration of our policy partners, Oranga Tamariki.