Second Children's Team established in Whangarei

The Whangarei Children's Team has commenced work, following the establishment of the first Children's Team in Rotorua in July.

Children's Teams, a key component of the Children's Action Plan, are intended to enable trained people in the community to refer children at risk of abuse and neglect to a team of professionals from health, welfare, education and social agencies. A lead professional is then tasked with developing a plan for the child's wellbeing and coordinating support from each of the agencies.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett said, "Children’s Teams have been designed to be flexible and unique to the communities in which they are established. They’ll evolve over time as we discover what works and what doesn’t, so that we can make the best possible impact for vulnerable children."

In Rotorua, to date 16 children have had contact with professionals and 35 community representatives have been trained in making referrals and working in a Children's Team. 

All Children's Teams are expected to be in action by the end of 2017.

Media:

New team supports vulnerable kids, NZ Herald, 22.10.2013

Whangarei Children’s Team underway, Beehive, 01.10.2013

Image: Community of People by Frits Ahlefeldt-Laurvig Licence: Creative Commons ttribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)