Funding for the Families Commission has been slashed and the number of commissioners cut from seven to one.
Social Development Minister Paula Bennett annouced the restructuring today.
Of the $32.48 million funding the Families Commission receives over four years, the Government would use a minimum of $14.2 million over four years to set up a new Social Policy Evaluation and Research Unit (SuPERU).
The Families Commission would be reduced to a single commissioner and would be governed by a board comprising public sector, philanthropic and academic representatives, Mrs Bennett said.
A new Family Status Report will be developed to measure how New Zealand families are getting on.
These changes give effect to the confidence and supply agreement with United Future.
Legislative changes will be needed to broaden the focus of the Commission’s function and to implement the new governance arrangements.
A further $4 million over four years will be redirected to fund extra parenting programmes and relationship education in schools and the Prime Minister’s Youth Mental Health programme.
Source:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7002943/Families-Commission-funding-slashed
Fairfax NZ News
Leave a Reply