The Minister for Families and Communities, Kate Washington, will travel to New Zealand this morning for four days to meet with senior child protection officials and other stakeholders, as part of the NSW Government’s continuing efforts to reform our child protection and out-of-home care (OOHC) systems.
New Zealand’s child protection system has undergone significant reform and transformation since 2017, focussed on more effective and efficient early intervention supports, and building Māori service provider capacity within their service system. The New Zealand reform journey – including its successes and stumbles – offers unique insights into the challenging road ahead for NSW.
Across the four days, Minister Washington is scheduled to visit Auckland, Tauranga, Wellington, and Dunedin. She will meet with New Zealand’s Minister for Children, as well as the Independent Children’s Monitor, the Chief Social Worker, the Principal Youth Court Judge, and various child protection stakeholders and service providers, including Maori services.
Oranga Tamariki – New Zealand’s Ministry for Children will host the Minister’s official visit.
While Minister Washington is overseas, the Attorney General will act as the Minister for Families and Communities, and Minister for Disability Inclusion.