Children's Care Plans campaign

Date: May 2023

For this project we worked alongside Pillars - Ka Pou Whakahou (Pillars) and their youth advisory panel to call for urgent legislative action and policy change regarding the implementation of Children's Care Plans (CCP) for the children of  incarcerated parents or community sentences. 

Children with a parent in prison are an often forgotten cohort who themselves serve an invisible sentence of adversity, trauma, and intergenerational harm.

A CCP would provide wrap-around care and a positive and supportive pathway for every child with a sentenced parent. Each plan would be unique to the needs of every child, and would be written in consultation with whānau and the child. These plans would cover acute needs like ensuring every child has a safe and supported place to live, counselling, healthcare, and education support or pathways to employment.

We believe Aotearoa needs whānau-centred CCP’s alongside the establishment of a Whānau Outreach Liaison role (beyond Family Court Navigators). These should be established in every court across Aotearoa. Read the open letter here.