Birthright believes that all children have the right to a happy, secure and loving home environment.  We work with families to facilitate the growth of confidence, skills and resilience within the family unit and its individual members.

Birthright understands the diversity of whanau in our communities: Most children in New Zealand will live in a home that is not comprised of a mother and a father at some point in their life. Birthright supports families and whanau in order that everyone has the opportunity to realise their full potential.


 

tash(copy)Single mother's brave fight against terminal cancer

 

When Christchurch single mother of four Tash Thomas couldn’t shake a cold that had been lingering for months she knew something was wrong and needed to go to the doctors.


But little did the bubbly 36-year-old mother know that further tests would lead to a diagnosis of an aggressive cancer called Adenocarcinoma the most common form of lung cancer for lifelong non-smokers.  

Unfortunately for Tash by the time doctors caught it the cancer had spread to her lungs and kidneys which left her with a prognosis of only months to live - at best.

Despite receiving the devastating news in February Tash has continued to remain positive and is determined to make the most of the time she has left with her family and friends.

Something that isn’t always easy to achieve when you are going through radiotherapy and chemotherapy on a regular basis.

“I’m not going to deny that this isn’t hard and I definitely have my good days and my bad, but I am determined to get the best out of life and be there for my kids because I know this is very, very tough for them.”

She is also determined to show how incredibly grateful she is to everyone who has reached out to her following the diagnosis.

“I have just been so blown away by the generosity of so many people in my community who have held all kinds of fundraisers and given us wonderful, wonderful gifts and because of this my family and I have been able to enjoy lots of laughs and special moments.

“I guess knowing that there are lots and lots of people looking out for my children has helped me make peace with my situation and I am just concentrating all my efforts on spending as much time as possible with them so we can create heaps and heaps of precious memories.”

 

President's Column - Finding our voice

Pip Ballardsmall2I was recently reminded of the importance of the work we do at Birthright when I accompanied our CEO, Gabrielle O’Brien to an appearance before the Electoral and Justice select committee which is considering the Family Court Proceedings Reform Bill.  This legislation is due to be enacted by the end of the year and will impact on the lives of many Birthright clients.

In our appearance before the committee, we reiterated our support for the intent of the reforms of the family court but also our concerns regarding the pace of the reforms, the need for safeguards in the design of the proposed new Family Dispute Resolution Service, the impact that charging for the proposed reforms will have on Birthright clients and the need to maintain flexibility for users to move between the Family Dispute Resolution Service and the Family Court. 

If you have not yet read the submission that Birthright has made on this issue, I encourage you to do so.  The submission was well received by the select committee who congratulated us on the quality and who responded positively to our approach.

This month we have also made a submission in response to the call for feedback on the proposal to charge for the police vetting service.  In our submission, we have highlighted the need for further discussion regarding what can be considered a private benefit and what can be considered for the public good.  

Many of our local Birthright societies hold contracts with the Ministry of Social Development which require all staff and volunteers to be police vetted.   There seems to be a mismatch between one government entity (MSD) deeming that the public good is served by making this a contractual requirement, and another government entity (Police) who has interpreted the benefits of the police  service as predominantly being a private benefit to the users of the service.  
 
In the White Paper for Vulnerable Children and associated Children’s Action Plan, the Government sends a clear signal to community organisations and to the general public that we have obligations as a society (i.e. a public responsibility) to protect vulnerable children.  A government funded police vetting service for all those who work with children is an important safeguard to support this.

Although we may not agree with all of the proposals outlined in the Police discussion document, it has been pleasing to see openness to receiving feedback and the opportunity for Birthright NZ to contribute to discussion on this issue.
 
Birthright NZ President

Phillipa Ballard
 
 

The White Paper for Vulnerable Children released by Ministry of Social Development

 

 

The White Paper for Vulnerable Children was released by the Government in October 2012.

 

There are four parts to the White Paper which include:

 

  • Volume I - Which outlines the Government's plans for getting better outcomes for our most at-risk children
  • Children's Action Plan - setting out actions and timeframes
  • Volume II - contains the evidence and the detailed rationale for the plans
  • Summary of Submissions - covering the nearly 10,000 submissions received on the Green Paper for Vulnerable Children.

 

To find out more or to access these documents please go to: www.childrensactionplan.govt.nz

 

 

Birthright in your area


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Birthright New Zealand comprises 15 regional member societies. 

Each member society is autonomous and offers a range of services.

Click here to find the Birthright in your region

Child Action Poverty group(copy)(copy)Myths and Facts: Sole Parents and the DPB

The Child Poverty Action Group, an independent charity working to eliminate child poverty, has put out a factsheet on the Myths and Facts on Sole Parents and the DPB. Read all about it by clicking here.

 

 

 

The New Zealand Law Society encouraged by positive amendments to the Family Court Proceedings Bill

 

Following the Bill's first reading the New Zealand Law Society is pleased Justice Minister Judith Collins has listened to concerns expressed at the Select Committee and come up with a number of amendments to the Bill.

 

Proposed Family Court Proceedings Bill amendments include:

 

  • providing up to four hours of legal support for parents who meet the legal aid threshold prior to court.
  • up to three hours of preparatory counselling to help parents make the most of Family Dispute Resolution (FDR).
  • the ability for a judge to refer parties back to FDR or the Parenting through Separation course if it is likely to resolve the case.
  • enabling lawyers to participate earlier in the court process, at the judge's discretion, if it would increase the chances of a successful resolution.

Birthright NZ's submission on the Family Court Proceedings Reform Bill


Government says The Family Court Proceedings Reform Bill which passed its first reading in Parliament in early December 2012 aims to modernise the family justice system by making it more accessible to those who need it the most - the children.

The significant reforms set out in the Bill are:
  • The establishment of a Family Dispute Resolution service which is a formalised method for out of court resolution.
  • The introduction of three new 'Court Tracks' that help people navigate the court system independently.
  • Increasing the penalty for breaching a protection order from two years to three.
  • Improving domestic violence treatment programmes for both protected people and respondents.
  • Making participation in the successful Parenting through Separation course mandatory for most Court applicants.
  • Streamlining Court processes by providing better information and court forms such as a standardised questionnaire affidavit.
  • Targeting the use of court professionals to where they are needed the most.

Birthright NZ has made a submission on the Bill, to read it please click here

If you would like to read more about the Family Court Proceedings Bill please click here

Links to stories on the Family Court Proceedings Bill

Children deserve a voice in Court - New Zealand Herald

Proposed changes to Family Court will make it less accessible - New Zealand Law Society

Information source: www.justice.govt.

 

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Your local Birthright: 
Free call: 0800 457 146
 

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National Office phone: 04 802 5377
National Office fax:      04 385 4698
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