getting it right for children

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Getting it right for children Dr Justine Cornwall Deputy Children’s Commissioner New Zealand Respiratory Conference Wellington 19 September 2013

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Getting it right for children. New Zealand Respiratory Conference Wellington 19 September 2013. Dr Justine Cornwall Deputy Children’s Commissioner. Office of the Children’s Commissioner. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Page 1: Getting it right for children

Getting it right for children

Dr Justine CornwallDeputy Children’s Commissioner

New Zealand Respiratory Conference

Wellington

19 September 2013

Page 2: Getting it right for children

Office of the Children’s Commissioner

• Independent Crown entity, with the role to advocate for better outcomes for New Zealand children under the age 18 years

• Main functions include:– Monitoring CYF delivery– Advocating for children– Promoting UNCROC

Page 3: Getting it right for children

The priorities

More children grow up healthy

More children grow up with

access to adequate resources

More children achieve their

education potential

More children are safe and free from all

forms of abuse and

neglect

Page 4: Getting it right for children

Child PovertyMany children do not have access to the resources they need to

thrive.

NZ has high levels of child poverty25% or 270,000 children living in poverty in NZ (was 11% in

1986)Child poverty is costly and affects everyone

about 3% of GDP per annumChild poverty can be reduced

… but there are no inexpensive simple solutions: we need an evidence-informed, comprehensive, sustained effort

Child health

Page 5: Getting it right for children

So who is growing up in poverty?

Children living in poverty and their families are diverse and there is no one typical “poor child”.

• Family structure• Income source• Ethnicity• Housing tenure• Age of children• Size of families• Geographical area

Page 6: Getting it right for children

Child HealthNZ has poorer child and youth health outcomes compared to

many OECD countriesWe have marked health disparities among Māori and Pacific peoples and among those living in poverty 9 differences exist

within and among DHBNZ children have high levels of infectious disease, injury,

maltreatment, social morbidity, and suicide.

Child poverty

Page 7: Getting it right for children

Some children are at greater risk

• Young children experiencing poverty– as many significant aspects of child

development occur in the earliest years and harm in this period has life-long impacts

• In New Zealand, we need to give specific attention to:– overcoming inequalities for Māori and

Pasifika – the particular issues facing children in

sole-parent families– children facing severe and persistent

poverty

Child poverty

Child health

Page 8: Getting it right for children

What do kids say poverty is?

“Get sick ‘cause it’s cold – can’t afford heating.”

“You can’t afford basic necessities – can’t afford to go to the doctors. Live in shit damp, cold houses.”

“If you don’t have much money you can’t afford to get there [to the doctor] – petrol, public transport and then you can’t afford to pay the doctor.”

“You may get into debt with paying any medical treatment.”

Page 9: Getting it right for children

The experiences of childhood are not like footprints in the sand.

They are more like footprints in cement

– long lasting

Page 10: Getting it right for children

So what is happening?

Page 11: Getting it right for children
Page 12: Getting it right for children

What’s the problem we’re trying to solve?• Unexplained variation between

services in delivery & outcomes across DHBs-> potential to improve outcomes by – Identification of “positive deviance”• Innovation, leaders, areas with

> expected outcomes –Peers supporting peers to improve– Improve equity of outcomes

Page 13: Getting it right for children

Compass themes 2013:

1.Best start to a healthy life

2.Child development and disability

3.Child, youth and whānau-centred care

4.Leadership and governance

5.Primary care

6.Youth health

Page 14: Getting it right for children

What else can be done to make a difference in addressing child health and poverty?

1. Get housing sorted 2. Look at ways to deliver health services

through schools or community hubs3. Start early – improve antenatal and early

childhood services 4. Work collaboratively – common assessment

and referral pathways

Page 15: Getting it right for children
Page 16: Getting it right for children

Our Challenge

We know there are a range of fantastic initiatives out there in communities working to address health and poverty related issues.

But how do we get the impact we need?

How can we harness the range of activity going on so that agencies and services are working side by side to the same goal?

Page 17: Getting it right for children

Collective Impact: 5 conditions

Common agenda

Backbone support

Shared measurement

Mutually reinforcing activities

Continuous communications

“Collective impact” describes highly structured collaborate efforts to achieve substantial impact on a large scale social problem

Page 18: Getting it right for children

Thank You