Child Youth and Wellbeing Strategy NZ

Our vision for the Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy is a bold one - that New Zealand be the best place in the world for children and young people. We engaged thousands of New Zealanders, who overwhelmingly supported the development of the Strategy, and urged us to place initial focus on children and young people with greater needs. Our intention is that this Strategy will coordinate and catalyse change and help provide the focus and momentum needed to achieve wellbeing for all our children and young people.

The Government has made a firm commitment to achieving the outcomes contained in this Strategy. Our recent Wellbeing Budget and current work across government is targeted at addressing child poverty, family violence, and inadequate housing, and improving early years, learning support and mental wellbeing for children, young people and their families and whānau. We are committed to continuing to build on this work as well as supporting the vital work of other sectors.

The Strategy is an exciting step forward. It sets out a shared understanding of what children and young people need and want in order to be well, what government is and should be doing to support them, and also how we must work together. The collective efforts of local government, iwi and Māori organisations, business, non-government organisations and the philanthropic sector are all necessary, as we simply cannot improve child and youth wellbeing on our own.

Ensuring we love, care and nurture all our children and young people throughout their lives is the most important task we have. This Strategy is our collective call to action.

A special thank you to the more than 6,000 children and young people whose ideas and feedback have helped shape this Strategy. It exists for you but it is also better because of you. Your voices remain with us as we take action.

Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern
Minister for Child Poverty Reduction