You promised… Now Deliver! 4000 strong petition goes to parliament…

Monday, 28 August 2023, 6:52 am
Press Release: VOYCE Whakarongo Mai

VOYCE – Whakarongo Mai is the national advocacy agency for care-experienced children and young people. We dream of an Aotearoa where all tamariki and rangatahi live with love and mana. We’re all responsible to make this reality!

On Wednesday 30th August young care experienced leaders from across Aotearoa will gather to discuss the state of state care at a Summit called together by VOYCE Whakarongo-Mai. The Summit, aptly named “From Care to Influence: Young Voices Rising”, will create space for young care experienced leaders to begin dreaming and articulating the urgent shift that needs to occur within the care system.

Following the Summit, young care-experienced leaders, alongside VOYCE Whakarongo-Mai, allies, and community supporters, will gather at 12.30pm at Odlins Plaza, Cable Street in Wellington and lead a Hīkoi to Parliament where they will deliver their petition at 1.15pm on the steps of Parliament. This petition calls on Parliament to act urgently to ensure the basic human rights of children and young people in care are upheld.

This Summit, and the subsequent Hīkoi and Petition Delivery, is part of VOYCE Whakarongo-Mai’s campaign, “You Promised… Now Deliver!” which call on political leaders to take seriously the commitment successive governments have made for over three decades through the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and other international agreements to uphold the rights of children in care.

These commitments are not currently being upheld. In contrast to their peers, children and young people in care experience homelessness and mental distress, lack access to consistent and good quality health services and education opportunities, and are disconnected from their culture, community, and identity, at a far greater rate.

Young people in care are tired of their peers being used as political footballs. In an environment where political discourse regarding young people has focused on punitive, tough on crime, rhetoric, care-experienced rangatahi are saying enough. It is time that our politician’s took seriously the parental responsibility the State holds for young people and children within care.

It is time that our politician’s took seriously the parental responsibility the State holds for young people and children within care to live with love and mana.

Instead of talk, they demand action!

To support VOYCE Whakarongo-Mai’s call to action you can join us for our Hīkoi and Petition delivery:

Hīkoi: Meet 12.30pm, Odlins Plaza, Cable Street, Wellington

Petition Delivery: Meet 1.15pm, Parliament building, Wellington

VOYCE – Whakarongo Mai are amplifying the voices of care experienced rangatahi and tamariki across the nation who are saying clearly, boldy, and unapologetically, “You Promised… Now Deliver!

• We are experiencing housing insecurity and homelessness far too often
• We are leaving care not set up to survive, never mind thrive

We’re calling on our elected leaders to work together to deliver:

• An Aotearoa New Zealand where the Government takes seriously it’s parental responsibility for tamariki in care and ensures that every tamaiti and rangatahi has the resources they need to live with love and mana.

• We are not being provided with stability when we enter care
• Caregivers aren’t consistently assessed before we’re placed with them
• We are not being kept safe when we’re in care, particularly in residences

We’re calling on our elected leaders to work together to deliver:

• A care system that provides stability for us both while we are in care, and through our transition into adulthood.

• We experience barriers and disruption to education due to being in care
• Alternative education and education in Oranga Tamariki residences are failing us
• We don’t have equal access to tertiary education

We’re calling on our elected leaders to work together to deliver:

• The support and means we need to participate and pursue our education goals and aspirations.

• Our health needs are not consistently being met while in care
• Our mental health needs are significantly higher than other young people

We’re calling on our elected leaders to work together to deliver:

• Access to the health services we need to live thriving and healthy lives.

• We can’t participate in decisions about our care when we don’t know our rights
• As a country we’re performing poorly in upholding children’s rights

We’re calling on our elected leaders to work together to deliver:

• By ensuring we are able to have a say in all the decisions made about us while we are in care.

• Tamariki Māori are too often disconnected from our marae, hapū and iwi
• Takatāpui and rainbow rangatahi are not safe and supported in our identity while in care

We’re calling on our elected leaders to work together to deliver:

• A system that supports us to develop our identity, know our whakapapa and grow our sense of self.

The responsibility to uphold these promises are held by every one of us in Aotearoa. Every individual, community, politician and Government Minister, has a role to play in ensuring that our tamariki, our most precious taonga, are able to live with Love and Mana.