Tagged With "Protection of our children in NZ"
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Child Youth and Wellbeing Strategy NZ
The New Zealand Child Youth and Wellbeing Strategy https://childyouthwellbeing.govt.nz/resources/child-and-youth-wellbeing-strategy-html For further information, you can visit https://childyouthwellbeing.govt.nz/ Our Prime Minister, Jacinta Adern is currently the Minister for Child Poverty Reduction. The following is an excerpt of the Forward to the Child Youth and Wellbeing Strategy Our vision for the Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy is a bold one - that New Zealand be the best place in...
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NZ Office of the Children's Commissioner
In NZ we have the Office of the Children's Commissioner who advocates for the interests and well-being of children and young people in NZ. Currently, the Children's Commissioner is Judge Andrew Becroft They have a number of resources. Visit: https://www.occ.org.nz/our-work/ The Office of the Children's Commissioner is currently monitoring Oranga Tamarki - Ministry FOR Children. https://www.occ.org.nz/about-us/our-role-and-purpose/monitoring/ On 8 June 2020, The Children's Commission also...
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Oranga Tamariki - Ministry FOR Children are trauma-informed but NOT in the way they work
In New Zealand, we have Oranga Tamariki - Ministry FOR Children. This is what Oranga Tamariki state on their webpage: Oranga Tamariki was established on April 1, 2017. We are a Ministry dedicated to supporting any child in New Zealand whose wellbeing is at significant risk of harm now, or in the future. We also work with young people who may have offended, or are likely to offend. Our belief is that in the right environment, with the right people surrounding and nurturing them, any child...
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NZ ~ Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions
The Royal Commission of Inquiry are looking into what happened to children, young people and vulnerable adults in State and faith-based care in Aoteoroa New Zealand between the years 1950-99. They may also listen to survivor experiences before and after these dates. The inquiry is considered to be the largest in the world given its scope and terms of reference Why have an Inquiry? Many people and organisations - survivors, community leaders, iwi and Māori, the Human Rights Commission and the...
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Through the mud we rise
I I stumbled across this Ted X talk by Michelle Esrick. For me, it was so profound that it reverberated through my soul. It resonated with me. This was my journey too. Sometimes we stumble upon treasures when we are searching for our truth This video clip inspired me to stand up and speak out for trauma-informed practice across all of our great nation, New Zealand. Michelle Esrick is the producer of Cracked Up - The story of Darrell Hammond I will be creating a post about that because...
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NZ at Level 1 at midnight 8 June 2020 ~ No Covid-19 cases in NZ
The news just now. NZ is going to Level 1 because we have zero Covid-19 cases. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12338052 Many thanks to our Prime Minister, Jacinta Adern and our Director-General of Health, Ashley Bloomfield
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NZ Education and Workforce Committee recommends the legalisation of teachers use of force against students
In the recently released final report the Education and Workforce Committee has recommended that teachers can use "physical force" on their students. They recommended that a definition of "physical force" be inserted into clause 95 (p.5). The definition of force they have provided reads, " force in relation to a student, directed toward the body of a student so as to move, or prevent, restrict, or subdue the movement of, the student's body or any part of the student's body against the...
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Dame Whina Cooper and the NZ Land March 1975
Peaceful protests can work to bring people together and to raise awareness of concerns. On 13 September 1975, approximately 5000 people marched from Te Hāpua in the North Island down to Wellington. The hīkoi (march) was led by Ngāpuhi leader, Dame Whina Cooper to protest against the loss of Māori land. The hīkoi was one of the first significant protest led by Māori it inspired the rebirth of Māori culture and paved the way for future protests by Māori for Māori. It raised public awareness of...
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Dame Whina Cooper ~ Take care of our children
Dame Whina Cooper ONZ DBE was a Te Rārawa leader and woman of mana, who worked for many years for the rights of Māori, especially Māori women. Born on 9 December 1895 in Pangaru, Northland, NZ and died 26 March 1994. Aotearoa means land of the long white cloud. It is used by many as another name for New Zealand Watch her speak "You can never WIN anything unless you are there to do something" Her quotes include:
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Welcome to ACE and Trauma-Informed New Zealand
Kia ora, I was born and raised in NZ and I live in Papakura which is located in South Auckland. I am a mother of four beautiful children and grandmother of three granddaughters with more to come. I am Maori (indigenous people of NZ) and whakapapa to Ngati Kahu ki Whangaroa Ngati Kahu ki Whangaroa is in the Far North of the North Island of NZ A very beautiful place with beautiful beaches including Taupo Bay, the area from where my whanau (family) come from. ACE and Trauma-informed NZ is a...
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NZ response to second wave of COVID ~ NZ people before the Election
Thursday 13 August 2020 On Tuesday 11 August 2020 at 9.15 pm (New Zealand time), Jacinda Adern announced that 4 people from the same family living in South Auckland had tested positive for COVID. The NZ government led by Jacinda Adern placed Auckland under Alert Level 3 from 12 noon on Wednesday 12 August 2020 and the rest of NZ on Alert Level 2. Auckland is the largest city of NZ with a population of about 1.6 million. It makes up about 33% of the NZ population. Today (Thursday) a further...
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Baby Courts ~ A way forward for our vulnerable children and their whanau in NZ
I joined a Zoom meeting with ACES Connection covering the topic Baby Courts in Florida. Baby Court heals multigenerational trauma by bringing together the science of child development into decision making for infants and toddlers who have been removed from their homes. It also works to prevent children from moving into the child welfare system. Both Mimi Graham and Judge Lynn Tepper speaks about Baby Court Their contact details are: Judge Lynn Teppler: ltepper@jud6.org Mimi Graham:...
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Our child protection services and authorities to listen and to act to protect our children
This is a message from our child protection agencies including Oranga Tamariki in NZ Let us not forget Gabriel Fernandez He was one of many children, let down, by not only his parents but from police and other authorities tasked to protect him It's Not Enough to Mean Well “This is not about the intentions of those who developed the system we have. It is about listening to the people it harms.” #OrangaTamariki #Childprotectionservices #Childwellbeing
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Trauma-informed judicial system in NZ and across the world
Kindness in court: a novel approach by Victoria Greening Link this to my previous post regarding Baby Courts is evidence that there is a change in the mindset of those in the judicial sector. Is that happening in NZ? Is it happening fast enough? Act early, Act fast Our children depend on it
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Listen ~ the movie
ACEs in Education have weekly A Better Normal ~ Education Upended Zoom's every Thursday at 12.00 noon EST which equate to Friday at 7 am in New Zealand time for 1 hour They are invaluable. I recommend that All New Zealand members join. On Thursday 27 August 2020 in USA which is Friday 28 August 2020 in NZ A Better Normal will have special guests ~ Graham Bodie & Erahm Christopher to discuss the movie, "Listen" "I have toured the country for the past 10 years to talk to our young people.
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Intergenerational poverty, racism and trauma in New Zealand
To many, New Zealand looks like and sounds like an island paradise with the world's most charismatic leader. New Zealand is a beautiful country with beautiful people and a beautiful leader. It hides our reality of intergenerational poverty, racism and trauma with high rates of child abuse, child poverty, bullying in schools, suicide and family harm. Maori, the indigenous peoples of NZ and Pacific Peoples are over-represented in those statistics. We have known this for years as have...
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Child poverty in New Zealand
Anita Baker, Mayor of Porirua was on Breakfast this morning (Monday, 24 August NZTime) she shared her concerns about child poverty in Porirua. She based her concerns on a report by the Porirua Council about child poverty. The report was based on statistics collected before COVID. Anita Baker made a call to our governments to tackle child poverty. Her statement includes a link to the report. This is happening across NZ. It is not isolated to Porirua. Important messages that Anita shares with...
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They "think" they know what it is like ~ They don't
Anita Baker, Mayor of Porirua, NZ made the statement when discussing child poverty in NZ : They "think" they know what it is like. They don't In NZ, we have many vulnerable people who are marginalised because of who they are and who they are not. Their culture, their beliefs, their ability, their disability, the colour of their skin, the country they come from, their identity. Kevin McLeod uses the term "otherness". I see "otherness" happening right here in NZ, our paradise in the pacific.
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We learn from the stories from those who have gone before us
Who we were is not who we are now Incarcerated youth need more guidance and support to uncover their inner selves So that they understand who they are and why they do what they have done Then they need guidance and support to learn how to forgive themselves for doing what they believed they had to do to survive. They need to learn how to care and love themselves So that they can care and love others. Books can expose us to the thinking and life journeys of others Books can show us how we can...
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The Regulated Teacher ~ Emily Read Daniels
This would help NZ teachers An important resource for all NZ teachers with the increase in teacher stress and increase in challenging behaviour. Self-regulation has to be learned When the teacher knows how to self- regulate they then have the capacity to teach and model to our children how to self-regulate The Regulated Classroom: "Bottom-Up" Trauma-Informed Teaching was developed by Emily Read Daniels after her 20 years of helping staff and students learn to cope and self-regulate. The...
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Protected Factor Framework ~ Free introductory webinar
I attended the Protected Factors Framework Introduction webinar with Elizabeth Smith from Project Whole Child. It was a very good presentation. Very interactive, great video clip and great slides There is another free webinar - closing date Wednesday 16 December USA time Places are limited I recommend that you register for this if you want to know more about what you can do to strengthen families. The Protected Factors Framework is an approach ~ a way of viewing the world When we change the...
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We are now Trauma-responsive New Zealand
Kia ora whanau, I have changed our community name to Trauma-Responsive New Zealand If you have Bookmarked the old site then you will discover it no longer exists It does exist Just under a different name. ACES Connection has also changed their name too PACEs Connection A positive change with the P for positive It goes to show that we are a community of people who are responsive We are not stuck We are moving at "PACE" towards our destination And as we do so we are increasing our momentum as...
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Renee A McDonald
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New Zealand's first comprehensive assessment of the prevalence of ACES in the NZ population
This is NZ's first comprehensive assessment of the prevalence of ACES in the NZ population It shows what many of us have known for years, especially those of us who have been raising our concerns, that NZ has a problem The problem is that our children are facing Adverse Childhood Experiences in NZ especially those who are are Young From low socio-economic backgrounds are Maori It also shows that exposure to Adverse Childhood Experiences are significantly associated with exposure to Intimate...
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New Zealand Human Rights violations known to the United Nations
I have PTSD. It is an invisible disability. It took me years to accept that I had mental health issues and it took longer for me to accept that I was a person with a disability. I have faced layers of trauma from what others have done to me. Those "others" included those who had a responsibility to protect me. They were not just people I loved but people who held positions of power and they were paid and employed by the NZ government to protect me. They did not They effectively used their...
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Moving Upstream: Confronting Racism to Open Up Children’s Potential
The scientific evidence is clear and growing: racism imposes unique and substantial stressors on the daily lives of families raising young children of color. Understanding how these stressors affect child health and development provides a compelling framework for new ideas about how communities, policies, programs, and funding streams might confront and dismantle these inequities and build a stronger future for us all. This new brief discusses how racism creates conditions that harm the...
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Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Human Rights in New Zealand ~ Are they working?
New Zealand's Human Rights system is bound byTe Tiriti o Waitangi. Te Tiriti o Waitangi was signed on 6 February 1840 by the Crown and Maori. It is legally binding and acknowledged internationally as a constitutional document. Many do not know about He Whakaputanga o te Rangitiratanga o Nu Tireni, our Declaration of Independence which was signed five years earlier by more Maori on 28 October 1835. He Whakaputanga o te Rangitiratanga o Nu Tirene is weaved into Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is...
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Listen up NZ government - You need to STOP harming us with urgency
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...
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New Research Publication on ACEs in New Zealand & Later Victimization in Adulthood
A new peer-reviewed publication featured in the July 2021 Volume 117 of the Journal of Child Abuse & Neglect confirms the high prevalence of ACEs in New Zealand across all sociodemographic groups, the disproportionate prevalence of ACEs among individuals who identified as Māori, and the relationship between ACEs and IPV in adulthood. This publication, entitled "ACEs in New Zealand and Subsequent Victimization in Adulthood..." by Fanslow et al., supports the need to address ACEs in New...
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Re: New Research Publication on ACEs in New Zealand & Later Victimization in Adulthood
@Porter Jennings-McGarity once again you have shared a very, very important document which I will now share with government agencies here in NZ because it provides supporting evidence that NZ needs to be trauma-responsive across ALL government agencies and ALL schools and ECE centres. Have a safe and enjoyable week with lashings of laughter and fun!!!
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Silence divides us. Speaking up unifies us
Silence divides us Speaking up unites us By speaking up By telling our stories We are seen and heard By listening we discover we are not alone The media has a responsibility to report the truth To give people the opportunity to speak up So that the public is informed Sadly, many of our major media providers in NZ do not report many stories of child abuse and harm to our children and harm done to parents who protect their children and to advocates fighting to address the harm done to our...
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Kerri Butler
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Helping stop childhood harm a priority for Harkness Fellowship award recipient [stuff.co.nz]
By Carly Gooch, Stuff, July 12, 2021 Studying how to curb childhood harm in Aotearoa will be at the top of Jane Kinsey’s agenda when she heads to the US on a prestigious fellowship award. Nelson Marlborough Health’s general manager of mental health, addictions and disability support services Jane Kinsey has been awarded the Harkness Fellowship, allowing her to take a sabbatical from her role for a year to research adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) at the University of California, Los...
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Re: Helping stop childhood harm a priority for Harkness Fellowship award recipient [stuff.co.nz]
Thank you so much for this @Karen Clemmer I missed this and I live in NZ!!!
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Communal Mastery ~
Communal Mastery could be applied to the NZ context as it embraces the Maori way of doing things The article Coping with Trauma Communally Reduces PTSD Risk By José G. Luiggi-Hernández August 18, 2021 Provides us with additional evidence of the importance of investigating and using "Communal Mastery" to address not just PTSD in women but the possibility of addressing many issues that we addressed individually in the past. You see, as individuals, we face harm from others and from our...
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Ben Birks Ang
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Social and Emotional Supports for Educators During and After the Pandemic
Americanprogress.org released an article 'Social and Emotional Supports for Teachers During and After the Pandemic' giving a ton of great information on the stress that educators deal with regularly. The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning defines SEL as the process where youth and adults learn skills to manage emotions, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible decisions. "Research by Pennsylvania State University found that teachers who...
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5 ways of helping ease the stress from 2020 in children
Hechingerreport.org released an article giving five ways of helping ease the stress from 2020 in children. Be responsive - By engaging in conversation with children, it helps to stimulate their brain. This is especially important for the first 3 years of a child's life. Share information - "Being transparent with kids, at an appropriate level for their age, can help lessen anxiety kids may feel" Help children share their feelings - Children tend to show their feelings which can lead to...
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Maternal Voice reduces pain in premature babies
Notice and read this article: Maternal Voice Reduces Pain in Premature Babies Featured Neurology Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Pain August 27, 2021 This is especially for all employees of Oranga Tamariki (Child protection services in NZ), NZ Family Court judges, and NZ Lawyers for Children Get informed with scientific evidence Work harder at getting trauma-responsive Babies need to be kept with their mothers at birth, from birth and onwards If you want the best for our children...
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Charlotte Hardy
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We're Going on a Bear Hunt I'm not scared with Michael Rosen
We're Going on a Bear Hunt is an old favorite of mine. When I was a teacher I would sing this song and do the actions in our school assemblies. The children loved it. Now that I am older with all my lived experience of trauma. I can identify the strong message the story gifts to us We are all going on a bear hunt When we face adversity We can't go over it We can't go under it We can't go around it We got to go through it Then when we find the bear in the deep dark cave We can run home to our...
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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 Lake ~ Uncovering the Truth Lake Alice New Zealand
Many thanks to Stuff and Popsock Media , investigative journalist AARON SMALE for all the hard work you have done in order to get THE LAKE series released. Lake Alice was a psychiatric hospital between Whanganui and Palmerston North in New Zealand. Lake Alice is effectively isolated as it can be found in the middle of farmland. Nowhere to run. Noone to see. Noone to hear. Lake Alice was a place for both adults and children with "psychiatric problems" including children with bad behaviour. It...
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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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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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More support for learners with highest needs in New Zealand October 2021
This announcement was made by Associate Education Minister, Jan Tinetti on 22 October 2021 Students most in need of extra help in the classroom are the focus of a new review that gets under way today, Associate Education Minister Jan Tinetti says. About 50,000-80,000 children and young people are expected to benefit from a Ministry of Education review into Highest Need Learners that will help to ensure all young people are receiving the education they deserve. “All our tamariki should be...
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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...