Advice to Ministers

Cabinet Decision: Adoption of the Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy

The following Cabinet paper and related Cabinet minute were proactively released by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, on behalf of Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern, Minister for Child Poverty Reduction.

Extract from Cabinet Minute SWC-19-MIN-0085: Adopting the Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy#

On 24 July 2019, the Cabinet Social Wellbeing Committee (SWC):

  1. noted that the Children’s Act 2014 requires the responsible Minister to adopt a strategy for improving the wellbeing of children by 21 December 2019;
  2. noted that in May 2018, SWC agreed to the broad framing of child wellbeing for the purposes of public engagement, including a draft vision statement, a set of outcomes and an indicative list of 16 focus areas for further policy work [SWC-18-MIN-0049];
  3. noted that in September 2018, the Minister for Child Poverty Reduction and the Minister for Children reported to Cabinet with:
    1. minor changes to the proposed framing of wellbeing, the vision statement, outcomes framework, and the long list of 16 focus areas for ongoing work as a result of early engagement; and
    2. final set of initial focus areas, and the potential implications for Budget 2019 and the development of the first Child Wellbeing Strategy;
  4. noted that widespread public engagement on the proposed Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy (the Strategy) has been completed, including targeted consultation with children, young people, and with Māori on the proposed vision, outcomes and policy priorities, meeting the requirements of section 6D(1) of the Children’s Act 2014;
  5. noted that changes have been made to the Strategy’s framework and to the age range of young people covered by the Strategy following the engagement process;
  6. noted that the responsible Minister has had regard to the relevant policy-related and child related principles under the Children’s Act 2014;
  7. noted that the Minister for Māori Development and the Children’s Commissioner have been consulted on the proposed Strategy, as required by section 6D(1) of the Children’s Act 2014;
  8. endorsed the Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy attached to the submission under SWC-19-SUB-0085, including the Government Programme of Action, to be adopted by the responsible Minister, as required by the Children’s Act 2014;

[Extract ends]

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