The Office of the Children’s Commissioner provides independent advocacy for the interests, rights and well being of New Zealand’s children and young people up to the age of 18 on laws, policies, practices and other matters that affect them.
The Children’s Commissioner has a statutory right to investigate any matters affecting children and young people (unless the issue is before the Court).
Janis carroll lind childrens commission presentation 14 october
1. Start Strong: A Children’s Rights
Perspective on the IHC Action Plan
Janis Carroll-Lind
Principal Advisor (Education)
StartStrong Seminar on Early and Sustained Support for
Children with a Disability and their Families
14 October 2010
2. Office of the Children’s Commissioner
In the core functions of advocacy,
monitoring or investigation
matters, the Children’s
Commissioner has a statutory
responsibility to be an
independent advocate for
children and young people and to
take cognisance of the diversity
of children in New Zealand.
Pictured: Young People’s Reference Group
3. Role and Function
of the Children’s Commissioner
• Established 1989 under the Children,
Young Persons and their Families Act
• Part of worldwide movement
• Independent voice for children and
young people
• Focus on CYP & F Act - investigating,
monitoring policies and practices
4. The Children’s Commissioner Act 2003
• Previously in Children, Young
Persons and their Families Act 1989
• Independent Crown Entity
• Statutory advocate for children and
young people
• Monitor Child, Youth and Family
Services
• Work with Government to give effect
to UNCROC
Photograph used with permission
5. Consultation with Children
The Children’s Commissioner
must also ensure that children
and young people are able to
speak out on issues that
concern them.
Photo used with permission of Cardinal McKeefry School
6. The rights of every child and young person are
recognised and each enjoys good health,
education, safety and economic wellbeing
OCC Vision
Photographs Used With Permission
Taonga Education Centre
If we want every child to be the best they can be,
what do we need to do to ensure that it can happen?
7. Key Outcome Goals for OCC
• Every child is safe and nurtured
• Every child has adequate
resources and opportunities to
develop
• Society’s attitudes and behaviour
change to become more child-
focused
8. United Nations Convention on the
Rights of the Child
Personal Photograph Used With Permission
• An international treaty that spells out
the basic human rights of children
everywhere
• Represents NZ’s commitment to
promote and protect children’s
interests, welfare and positive
development
• Was ratified in 1993
• Applied to every child and young
person up to the age of 18 years.
9. What does UNCROC say?
• Contains 54 articles spelling out children’s
rights
• Four groups of rights
– Survival
– Protection: right to be kept safe from
harm
– Provision: right to the necessities of life,
e.g. education, health services
– Participation: right to have a say in
matters affecting them
Personal Photograph Used With Permission
10. UNCROC: Article 3
In all actions concerning
children, the best interests
of the child should be a
primary consideration.
Personal Photograph Used With
Permission
11. Relevant UNCROC Articles
Article 2 No discrimination
Article 3 Best interests of the child
Article 6 Survival and development
Article 12 Voice and respect
Article 18 Joint responsibility for child care
Article 23 Access and integration for children with
disability
Article 28 Access to education
Article 29 Purpose of education
Article 30 Indigenous rights to language and culture
Article 31 The right to play and recreation.
13. The Child’s Questions (Podmore, May & Carr, 2001).
Strands of Te
Whāriki
Learning and Development
Questions
The “Child’s
Questions”
Belonging Do you appreciate and understand my
interests and abilities and those of my
family?
Do you know me?
Well-being Do you meet my daily needs with care
and sensitive consideration?
Can I trust you?
Exploration Do you engage my mind, offer
challenges, and extend my world?
Do you let me fly?
Communication Do you invite me to communicate and
respond to my own particular efforts?
Do you hear me?
Contribution Do you encourage and facilitate my
endeavours to be part of the wider
group?
Is this place fair for us?
14. Key Messages
• Children’s rights are not about having rights at
the expense of others.
• They are about ensuring that children are
treated with the same degree of human dignity
and respect that we as adults take for granted.
20. Education Advocacy Service
• Provide positive outcomes for early childhood services,
schools and learners by maintaining children within the
education system
• Reduce barriers to learning which are created by conflict
between early childhood services, schools, children and
parents
• Improve relationships between the early childhood/school
sector and the community.
21. Implementation Handbook Checklist
Article 23: Disabled children should enjoy a full and decent life, in conditions
which ensure dignity, promote self-reliance and facilitate the child’s active
participation in the community.
• Easy access to an independent mechanism for considering complaints?
• National and local arrangements to ensure that parents are given advice,
financial assistance and practical help to bring up a child with disabilities?
• Access to achieving the fullest possible social integration and individual
development without discrimination in inclusive settings?
• Involvement of organisations of children with disabilities in planning, policy
development and evaluation at all levels of government?
22. Draft Framework for Action: Key Points
• The importance of relationships with support/provider organisations
• The need for more respect, flexibility, and timely responsiveness for
professionals and support organisations
• Access to high quality, integrated, and practical early support services
across New Zealand
• Access to early, accessible and accurate information on entitlements,
resources, supports, how to engage services and who to raise issues
with.
23. Te Ara Tukutuku Nga
Whanaungatanga o Nga Tamariki
Every child is safe, nurtured, educated, healthy and
has hope for the future
An Integrated Framework
Weaving Pathways to Wellbeing:
Photograph used with permission
Kawerau South School
Young People’s Reference GroupPhotographs Used With Permission
Taonga Education Centre
24. THE LIFE CYCLE APPROACH
0 - 4 YEARS10 - 14 YEARS
15 - 17 YEARS
SOCIAL
COGNITIVE
EMOTIONAL
PHYSICAL
5 - 9 YEARS
25. SECONDARY
ENTRY POINT
Family/Whanau:
-Death
-Separation
-Illness/Disability
-Abandonment
-Employment
-Imprisonment
-Crisis
Child:
-Abuse/serious injury
-Onset of illness
-Disability
-Specialist assessment
-Behavioural problems
-Violence
-Exclusion from school
-Transience/Moves
-Teenage parents
Sex Education
Use of Services
Access to Services
Access to Resources
Intentional Injury
Unintentional Injury
Mental health
Growth/Development
Dental
Nutrition
Height/Weight
Vision
Hearing
Immunisation
PHYSICAL EMOTIONAL
Resiliency
Self-Esteem
Strengths
Behaviours
Coping
Problem Solving
Identity
Agency
Values
Attachment
Transition
Further Education
Employment
Engagement
Assessment
Special Needs
Learning
School Readiness
Speech
Language
COGNITIVE
Relationships
-Family
-Peers
-Community
Cultural Wellbeing
Recreation
Interactions
Connections
Interests
Activities
Interdependence
Independence
Dependence
SOCIAL
CRITICAL DOMAINS
0 - 4 Years
15 - 17 Years
10 - 14 Years
5 - 9 Years
UNIVERSAL ENTRY POINTS
26. RESPONSIVENESS
Adapted from Making it Happen, 2006, England
Primary
professional
within
Universal
Services
Lead
practitioner
Statutory or
professional
role
Lead
professional
within cross-
sectoral team
Primary
professional
liaises with
specialist
Some additional needs
UNIVERSAL SERVICES
Primary
professional
within
Universal
Services
Lead
practitioner
Statutory or
professional
role
Lead
professional
within cross-
sectoral team
Primary
professional
liaises with
specialist
NIVERSAL SERVICES
27. Inquiry into Formal Education and
Care For Under-2s: Why ?
EC sector is characterised by its concern
for quality and good outcomes for young
children.
BUT
• There are many different interests at
play.
• OCC is considering the issues from a
perspective of children’s interests -
through the lens of infants and toddlers.
28. Why Did We Do This Inquiry?
• NZ is moving quickly towards non-
parental care for under-2s
• Fastest growth is in services for this
age group
• Debate in the literature on the
benefits, risks, impact, and quality of
formal ECS for under-2s.Personal Photograph Used With Permission
29. Elements of Quality Service Provision
• High adult-child ratio
• Small group sizes
• Educators’ training, qualifications, and skills
• Positive responsive care relationship between
educator and child
• Adequate, well-defined spaces
• Significant parental involvement
• Attention to health and safety requirements
• Socially, culturally, and developmentally appropriate
curriculum
Personal Photograph Used With Permission
30. Start Strong: Responding to Every Child
“For a government that wants to improve the lot of its
people, investing in the first years of life is the best
money it can spend…” (Carol Bellamy, CEO of UNICEF, 2004).
Photograph used with permission