Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has pledged that Oranga Tamariki’s care for at-risk children will see improvements rather than setbacks despite recent job cuts.
On Wednesday, the public service saw significant a job cut proposal with around 1,000 jobs at risk, spanning Oranga Tamariki and the Ministry of Education.
Among the impending cuts it’s anticipated that Oranga Tamariki’s evidence centre, crucial for gathering data on effective child safety measures, will be notably affected. Of the 632 roles under threat, nearly a quarter consist of managerial positions, with over a third being advisory roles.
While the Opposition voices concerns over potential compromises in frontline services due to these cuts, Minister Chhour remains optimistic. Speaking to state media she said every cost-saving measure in administrative functions will be redirected to bolster frontline services, ultimately benefiting the youth.
Having experienced state care herself, Chhour is a vocal critic of the current system and believes that these cuts will result in more resources directed towards young people. Some job eliminations are linked to discontinued projects initiated by the former Labour government and are aimed at streamlining the decision-making processes.
Chhour said it was important to transfer decision-making powers to frontline professionals who have direct interactions with vulnerable children. When questioned about potential impacts on frontline services Chhour contends that the opposite effect is likely.
Opposition leader Chris Hipkins claimed the reduction in staff numbers will exacerbate existing problems within Oranga Tamariki.
Chief Children’s Commissioner Claire Achmad weighed in telling state media the office-bound roles were crucial for functions like policy formulation and evidence gathering.
The total numebr of jobs cut in the public sector now exceeds 3,000.
It’s “Child, Youth and Family” ffs, and not humpadumbawhakawhaka!
I trust Karen Chhour to do the job. A lady with integrity. A rare attribute in our parliament.
While the wiki page of Karen Chhour does not initially instill trust for her leadership role to shape society, with all respect, I sense she’s on the right track. Her promulgated Youth Offender Military Academy, opposed by all the usual suspects of rort and woke, might just what family-dysfunctional disfranchised youth need to turn their lives around.
For parents it is too late; they are cannon fodder in the quagmire of vote gathering, if they are able to read and tick the BS box on the voting paper.
So we will watch.
Apology, Karen, for the harsh description.
You are, for once, a Karen who doesn’t fit the colloquial!
You got my support on this one.