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Archived Press Releases 2008 10th August 2008

Endangered snails versus endangered children

(10th August 2008)

The recent Report: "A Fair Go For Children – Actions to Address Child Poverty in New Zealand" identifies that one in every five New Zealand children remain in poverty despite seven years of strong economic growth.

Sensible Sentencing's Spokesperson on Drug Issues, Christine Davey, points out that in the last seven years NZ has also experienced strong growth in the P problem. She suggests that parents on P are a contributing factor to child poverty, which is being ignored.

The Ministry of Social Development's Policies to address substance abusing parents, only work when these people are identified. They are of no use when these people are flying beneath the radar.

And yet CYF will not act on Notifications from Grandparents who are concerned for their grandchildren's welfare, knowing that the parents are on P.

Put this together, and the children who survive become the subject of this weekend's report from Waikato principals who say a generation of "P babies" coming through the school system has alarming behavioural and learning problems.

One Principal says he is "concerned about the cost to schools further down the track to implement programmes for the affected children."

Ms Davey suggests that there is little point in providing yet another ambulance at the bottom of the cliff in the form of extra support to schools, if the problem is not identified and remedied at the source.

Children born to mothers who use P, who are breastfed by mothers on P, and who live in homes where P is consumed suffer from financial poverty, spiritual poverty and intellectual poverty.

The Government must accept help in identifying these endangering conditions and remove the children from that environment. There is quite simply no alternative if these children are to be saved.

Too simplistic? Too costly?

They found $25 million to achieve this for the snails....

Regards,

Christine Davey
Sensible Sentencing Spokesperson on Drug Issues,
mobile 027 6376166