Tagged With "Child Advocacy NZ"
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I have PTSD - That does not mean I can't be a good parent
Through my work as an advocate, I have met many people who, like me, have PTSD. I have PTSD because people made the choice to hurt me so bad that I now live with that every day. I live with trauma. The thing is I survived. I made the decision to pick myself up, to stand again, reset and keep moving forward. I now face many, many people including professionals who believe, erroneously, that I am my trauma. This is especially true in NZ because, in my country that I love so much, far too many...
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Underlying issues with solutions for NZ child protection services
Our child protection services in NZ have the knowledge they struggle with the implementation I identify the problems I have found supporting parents who have had their children removed by child protection services in NZ (CYFS) These are the solutions: Build trusting relationships - change social worker when required Create full, accurate, objective records Complete thorough ecological assessments Identify the strengths of parents and use them to address the needs Support parents in the...
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Lake Alice ~ What New Zealand did to their own
(Blog image of Paul Zentveld - Lake Alice abuse survivor) Read this NZ Stuff article by Aaron Smale I ask that you reflect on your definition of mental health Your definition of mental health will determine how you respond to people with mental health The term "mental health" does not need to change Our perceptions, our definition, our response to the term "mental health" needs to change. Once I said that we need to take away the term "mental health" and replace it with another term. I...
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The Road to Recovery from Miss Kendra
This arrived in my inbox this morning. Many thanks to Miss Kendra This applies to us here in NZ The Road to Recovery is Not Linear Schools are in the process of recovery from the pandemic. Recoveries are rarely linear, and this one, in particular, will challenge everyone. When we think of goals and objectives they are often achieved in a linear fashion: you start from point A and go to point B. You prepare the class, you teach, the students learn, and objectives are met. You start with the...
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Re: The Humpty Dumpty of New Zealand needs help
Yah, we’ve ALL been Aware. So what? Words and venting are different from Action. What ya gonna do with your Words?
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The Humpty Dumpty of New Zealand needs help
Whakarongo mai whānau! CYFS is the Humpty Dumpty of New Zealand I am oppositional defiant When I hear the words "Can't" and "Impossible" I say We can do When you believe you make the seemingly impossible Possible Social workers working for CYFS create many of the problems that families, parents and children face in New Zealand. All professionals know this: In order to understand why we have CYFS social workers that are not following best practices, we need to know about the supports that...
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Re: The Humpty Dumpty of New Zealand needs help
Kia ora @anne kurtz My words are my action. To empower people with knowledge If you want to change, and we all want change. We need to get informed. We need to call it out Use the knowledge to take action. Use the complaints process to take action Use the Social Workers Registration Board to make complaints about individual social workers Send emails to the relevant agencies to raise your concerns and to provide solutions Send emails to the Minister of Children ~ Kelvin Davis Share this...
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NZ Family Violence Prevention Strategy
ACC is investing $44.9 million over four years to establish a fit-for-purpose sexual violence primary prevention system, Minister for ACC Carmel Sepuloni announced 3 October 2021. “Almost a quarter of adults in New Zealand have experienced sexual violence in their lifetime, and around one in six people are affected by sexual violence before the age of 18,” Carmel Sepuloni said. “These high rates cannot continue. We need to put in place systems that protect our whānau and our future...
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New Ministry for Disabled People to be established in New Zealand
This is great news for people with a disability in New Zealand. Many thanks to all those who worked so hard to make this happen and to Carmel Sepuloni our Minister for Disability Affairs and to Andrew Little our Minister for Health On Friday 29 October 2021 the NZ Government made an announcement on transformative changes for disabled people A joint message from Minister for Disability Issues Carmel Sepuloni and Minister of Health Andrew Little Tēnā koutou katoa, It was a pleasure for both of...
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NZ Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission's first report - on access and choice
On Friday 29 October 2021 the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission’s released their first report: 'Access and Choice Programme: Report on the first two years - Te Hōtaka mō Ngā Whai Wāhitanga me Ngā Kōwhiringa: He purongo mo ngā rua tau tuatahi'. This is the first report released by the Commission since their establishment in February this year. The independent report on the Access and Choice Programme has found that the programme has put much-needed investment into primary and community...
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Support our mothers to be the best that they can be
Mothers need our support and guidance to become the best mother that they can be for their children Social workers and principals/teachers in New Zealand MUST use best practices in order to keep those they work with, both children and their parents safe Currently, there are far too many social workers and principals/teachers that do not use best practices causing significant harm to our parents and their children. Sadly, many professionals using bad practices are women, many are mothers.
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Māori symposium (online)
TICKETS ON SALE NOW! 3 August 2022 9am-4.30pm (NZ time) Join us for a one day Live-Streamed event to explore practice with Māori (the indigenous peoples of Aotearoa New Zealand) to contribute to your Continuing Professional Development. This symposium is an initiative to support social workers but will have great relevance for all professionals committed to culturally responsive practice and meeting Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations. Tickets ($NZ90) and more information available from:...
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The SYSTEM will not include us
Tēnā Koutou katoa Greetings to many I have not posted for a long time. I have been busy spending time with our survivors of abuse in State Care and rebuilding my relationship with Oranga Tamariki In short, working to heal the harm. Over the past 3 days, I attended the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in State Care hearings to listen to the Institutional responses of State agencies to abuse in care I made daily posts to my LinkedIn network I am going to share those posts here with you to...
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NZ Education system ~ We have no systemic racism
Iona Holsted, Chief Executive and Secretary for Education said in her response on behalf of the Ministry of Education that she does not acknowledge that our NZ education system has systemic racism . This was later endorsed by Nicholas Pole, Chief Executive and Chief Reviewer of the Education Review Office, in his response on behalf of the Education Review Office. I may have gotten it wrong. I don't think so, as I was there at the hearing. Sadly, our media did not pick up on this, and it was...
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Abuse in Care: Survivors experiences 'abhorrent' – Oranga Tamariki
An article from Katie Doyle Abuse survivors faced “unacceptable and abhorrent” experiences in state care, the chief executive of Oranga Tamariki says. Te Hapimana Te Kani (Ngāti Porou, Te Aitanga a Mahaki, Tūhoe, Ngāti Maniapoto, Rongowhakaata), also known as Chappie Te Kani, took the stand today as part of the Royal Commission’s Abuse in Care inquiry – Institutional Response Hearing . The scope of the hearings include the years between 1950 and 1999. Te Kani was the first of several...
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Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in State Care
I am attending the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in State Care hearing at Newmarket. I am listening to the Institutional Responses ~ Responses from the representatives of our State agencies. I will be sharing my thoughts on LinkedIn and also information from the media I believe that this is an important space as it shows the importance of using a trauma-informed approach to heal the harm and to move forward WITH the survivors. Our State agencies need to share their power with us by...
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Re: Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in State Care
Hi Anne, My contact details 027 ADRIANA 027 2374262 Child Education Advocate Neuro-authentic ( What's this ?) Pronouns: she/her ( What's this ?) Email 1: adriana@childadvocacy.nz Email 2: adrianavanaltvorst@gmail.com Paces Connection: Trauma-responsive NZ YouTube: Child Advocacy NZ Facebook: Child Advocacy NZ Mobile: (+64 27 2374262)
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Ironically, tomorrow Maori "celebrate" Waitangi Day and yet....
Ironically, tomorrow Maori "celebrate" Waitangi Day and yet...our people and our children continue to be over-represented in statistics that show that they face barriers to accessing quality education. Waitangi Day "celebrates" the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi on 6 February 1840. An agreement signed between representatives of the British Crown and more than 500 Māori chiefs. British Crown versus Māori Tomorrow is 6 February 2023 183 years Despite Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and all the plethora...
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Ironically, Maori are expected to "celebrate" Waitangi Day and yet....#2
The following is the journey of yet another mother trying to get her son access to quality education for her son here in New Zealand Yes, Maori again Her journey is totally unacceptable and we continue to WAIT for professionals to resolve the issues This is how Maori are treated here in New Zealand We are expected to be grateful for what we get and to "celebrate" Waitangi Day on 6 February 2023 183 years later and this is the best our NZ education system can offer our people? As Maori, we...
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Re: Ironically, Maori are expected to "celebrate" Waitangi Day and yet....#2
@anne kurtz it is important for me to raise awareness of how our children and parents are treated by our education system here in NZ. If I did not share my concerns and if I did not complain then we would not get change and these parents plight would go unseen and unheard Complaints drive transformational change I will continue to raise my concerns I do it to honour the people I work with I ensure that their struggles are not done in vain - that their hardship WILL make change. They will be...
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Re: Ironically, Maori are expected to "celebrate" Waitangi Day and yet....#2
Ms Altvorst, This is like preaching to the choir. The PACES choir. It’s the NZ way. All best, Anne
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Ironically, we "celebrate" Waitangi Day and yet.... Abuse in State Care
This post is to honour all survivors from State Care of NZ including Māori and Non-Māori My post is lengthy to acknowledge their long hard arduous journey to seek justice and they too continue to WAIT Te Tiriti o Waitangi protects both Māori and Non-Māori citizens of New Zealand. Initially, I worked with both Māori and non-Māori whanau who struggled to access quality education for their children. I now work with whanau who are significantly harmed by the actions of representatives...
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Ironically, today we "celebrate" Waitangi Day and yet....The case of a father that loved his children
Te Tiriti o Waitangi is to protect both Māori and non-Māori. This post is to honour a father who lost almost everything in his pursuit to protect his children from harm and to ensure they accessed quality education because he loved them This post is to honour all fathers who are denied their right to be a father simply because they are men. New Zealand is a nation that is like a pendulum. We move between polar opposites. We can't seem to find balance. In days gone by, women were once...
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Ironically, today we "celebrate" Waitangi Day and yet....The case of a father that loved his children
Te Tiriti o Waitangi is to protect both Māori and non-Māori. This post is to honour a father who lost almost everything in his pursuit to protect his children from harm and to ensure they accessed quality education because he loved them This post is to honour all fathers who are denied their right to be a father simply because they are men. New Zealand is a nation that is like a pendulum. We move between polar opposites. We can't seem to find balance. In days gone by, women were once...
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How do I contribute to the state of our education system in New Zealand?
Life learnings for today Many of those I support Those facing schools that target their children Clarification of target: Effectively actions the school uses to discriminate against children in a way that the children know that they are different and that difference is not acceptable to them, the school Whanau (family) often face these types of responses Group 1: Shut up and put up - stop complaining and it will go away Group 2: You or your kid must have done something wrong ~ You deserve it...
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Wahoo traction ~ NZ is reaching out to get Trauma Informed
I attended Global Resiliency Accelerator group on Tuesday 7 March 2023 at 6 am NZTime hosted by Warren Larkin and Becky Haas. I was smiling this morning ~ Great News I heard New Zealanders are reaching out to attend Trauma-informed programmes and Warren Larkin has visited New Zealand to work with others here in NZ Warren Larkin shared this report with us this morning He Oranga Ngakau ~ Maori Approaches to Trauma-Informed Care He Oranga Ngākau is a research project funded by the Health...
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Through death comes learning and growth
Warning: it may be triggering Below is a link to an article from the NZ Herald today It triggered me Because I have lived it Many others have too We remained silent Thanks to the NZ Herald journalist, Carolyn Meng-Yee And his wife lives on with her memories I hope that Pua's wife gets all the support she needs I thank her for having the courage and strength to share her journey with us So that we can take time to reflect and learn I am sending her all my aroha and awhi to surround her to...
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Transparency trumps Legal Privilege - Judge Mallon Pike River Mine NZ
Transparency trumps Legal Privilege - Judge Mallon Pike River Mine I believe this decision is monumental for those seeking accountability from the State TV One News had an exclusive on this story For those living in NZ: Watch TV One news at six Sunday 26 March 2023 on TVNZ on demand The ruling will be discussed on the Breakfast Show on TV One on 27 March 2023 from 7.06 am Transparency is in the best interests of Justice to ensure the integrity of the administration of Justice is seen to be...
