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Purpose

1. This paper was prepared to provide the EAG with a view on specific measures to reduce

poverty amongst Pasifika children.

2. Our hope is that every Pasifika child should be able to grow up in New Zealand without

experiencing poverty. The Expert Advisory Group’s papers set the challenging and results-

focused targets needed for the reduction of child poverty within ten years. This paper is

particularly focused on recommendations for better public service performance to reduce

poverty amongst Pasifika children:

i. understanding and measuring poverty amongst Pasifika children

ii. better performance in reducing poverty amongst Pasifika children

iii. engage high-quality research to drive innovation in public services for Pasifika

children

iv. accelerate Pasifika education outcomes

v. lift Pasifika children’s living standards through skills development

vi. make progress in Auckland

vii. better housing for Pasifika children and their families

viii. healthy Pasifika children

ix. justice services for Pasifika young people to live and work in the wider

community.

3. The paper begins with describing the term ‘Pasifika’.

4. Other EAG Working Papers, especially Education, Health, Housing, Employment, and

Reforms to the tax, benefit and active employment system are relevant to matters raised

in this paper.

5. This paper has informed the direction and recommendations of the EAG’s Solutions to

Child Poverty in New Zealand: Issues and Options Paper for Consultation. These are

preliminary findings, and a final report will be published in December 2012. The findings

in this paper do not necessarily represent the individual views of all EAG members.

Working Paper no.15:

Better public service

performance on poverty amongst

Pasifika children

August 2012

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Understanding Pasifika1

6. ‘Pasifika’ is a collective term used by the EAG to refer to children and adults of Pacific

heritage or ancestry who have been born in or migrated to Aotearoa New Zealand. There

are more than 20 different Pasifika communities in New Zealand – each with its own

distinctive culture, language, history and health status; and high levels of diversity within

communities. Some Pasifika children identify themselves with Pacific countries because of

family and cultural connections with Samoa, Cook Islands, Tonga, Niue, Tokelau, Fiji,

Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and other Pacific countries. Most children of Pacific heritage in

New Zealand are born here. Most children of Pacific heritage in New Zealand have been

born here which means that Pasifika children are no longer considered an immigrant

population. Growing up with Pacific heritage in New Zealand is not a homogeneous

experience. The contemporary Pasifika social milieu is cross-cultural, diverse and

culturally changing.

7. Pasifika New Zealanders are a young and growing population. In Auckland, 1 in 4 babies

born is Pasifika. In less than 20 years, one in five children New Zealand-wide will be

Pasifika. Their median age is 21.1 years compared to 35.9 years for the New Zealand

population overall. By 2030 Pasifika people will be one in eight in the younger (15–39

years) workforce. Current unemployment figures though show that too few Pasifika

secure jobs and independent income. The latest data show that 40 percent of Pasifika 15-

19 year olds are unemployed (MPIA: Briefing to the Incoming Minister, 2011). For New

Zealand to do well, Pasifika children must do well.

8. The government’s business growth rationale for public investment in Pasifika children is

realising the best return on the human capital of the nation. (Grimmond, 2011). The

sought after higher living standards for New Zealanders incorporates a broad range of

material and non-material factors. However, it also acknowledges the importance of

individual rights, freedoms and capabilities (New Zealand Treasury, 2011) From a human

rights perspective Pasifika children have an entitlement to live free from poverty and to

enjoy wellbeing and success at least on par with all other children in New Zealand

(Grimmond, 2011)

9. Pasifika children can have multiple world-views with diverse cultural identities and may be

monolingual, bilingual or multilingual. Currently approximately 2,000 young Pasifika

students receive some of their learning in their heritage language. (MPIA: Briefing to the

Incoming Minister, 2011). Robust international evidence shows that bilingualism

improves cognitive abilities in children. More and better provision of bilingual education

1

This section draws directly from the ‘Understanding Pasifika’ section in the Pasifika Education Plan 2009-2012.

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for Pacific students has the potential to lead to improved educational, social and

economic outcomes for Pasifika peoples (MPIA: Briefing to the Incoming Minister, 2011).

10. Pasifika children are not homogenous and ‘Pasifika’ does not refer to a single ethnicity,

nationality, gender, language or culture. This diversity helps Pasifika children to operate

successfully through spiritual, political, cultural and economic worlds. Many Pasifika

children are brought up to value and respect elders and leadership, and build and lead

strong relationships through service. Reciprocity is a way of life where one’s location,

connectedness to family and community defines one’s well-being, sense of belonging,

identity and culture.

11. Effective systems-level planning, policies and actions can help realise the potential that

being a Pasifika child offers New Zealand. As signalled by the Ministry of Education

(Pasifika Education Plan 2009-2012) in charting life journeys, Pasifika want the best for

their children and young people in all areas and walks of life, and that they can contribute

as full citizens of New Zealand. The quest for high achievement and contribution to

citizenship draws on internal factors (within families and communities such as church)

and external factors (outside of families and communities such as in schools and health

services) including:

knowledge of family

roles, sense of position

resilience

the importance and value of strong networked relationships that tap into

individual and group strengths.

12. Change is supported where there is understanding of the importance of social structures

such as community and church in consultation and seeking feedback, setting high

expectations for public services that are responsible and accountable for measurable

outcomes for Pasifika children, engaging parents and partnerships in ways that are

inclusive and centred on Pasifika children. Success is about positively harnessing Pasifika

children’s diversity and multiple world views within an enabling system of public services

that work for children, their families and communities. Pasifika children’s success is

critical for the future of New Zealand.

Understanding and measuring poverty amongst Pasifika children

Recommendation 1:

The government needs to develop measures and indicators with Pasifika understandings

of identity, and success at their core; providing Pasifika-specific data, and the

representation of a holistic approach to Pasifika wealth (economic, social, spiritual,

linguistic, and cultural) and poverty. Data on Pasifika children need to be disaggregated to

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allow for target setting responsive to the diverse needs and experiences of Pasifika

children.

Rationale

13. Poverty can severely limit the opportunities and aspirations of any child, including Pasifika

children. Child poverty is defined by the EAG as children living in an environment where

income and other material deprivation are such that they are unlikely to survive, develop

and thrive, so that they are unable to enjoy their rights, achieve their full potential and

participate as full and equal members of society. Child poverty also exists in a spiritual,

social and cultural context and these factors are inseparably associated with Pasifika child

poverty and contribute to its alleviation. The interpretation and acknowledgement of

child poverty therefore is contextual as it is relative. The popular monetary and material

measures indicate that around 40 percent of Pasifika children fall into the category of

living in conditions of child poverty (Henare et al, 2011)

14. Linking ‘poverty’ to Pasifika peoples is deeply uncomfortable for many from these diverse

communities. Doing so is not necessarily accepted as relevant by Pasifika peoples. Most

Pasifika families and therefore their children do not live in conditions of poverty. There is

a concern that stereotypes will be built and then reinforced by linking poverty to Pasifika

peoples. For some, the issue is seen to be about deprivation rather than poverty per se.

For others it is about relative advantages across New Zealand society. Measures used to

identify child poverty in New Zealand need to be composite in nature and capture

Pasifika worldviews alongside the complexity and context of the issue (Perry, 2009)

15. Solutions to child poverty in New Zealand will need to:

intentionally work to shatter stereotypical views of Pasifika children and their

families,

centre on the actual needs of the child rather than assumptions,

respond to contextual factors, and

ensure public services are better at working with families and communities to

meet Pasifika children’s needs.

16. The solutions therefore will involve both those experiencing poverty and those who are

not - Pasifika-specific solutions and general. In the EAG’s paper on tax and benefits, this

approach is described as “getting the right mix of universal and targeted benefits to poor

and non-poor families” to improve the outcomes for children. (See EAG Working Paper

no. 10: Reforms to the tax, benefit and active employment system to reduce child

poverty)

17. Despite the substantial contributions New Zealand’s Pasifika communities make to society

and the economy a large minority still face strong demographic, social and economic

challenges. The proposed directions are intended to enable all Pasifika children to live

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without experiencing the poverty that comes from deprivation of income and other

resources to survive (material, cultural, spiritual and emotional), but to develop and

thrive, able to enjoy their rights, and achieve their full potential and participate as full and

equal members of New Zealand society2.

Figure 1: Pacific Peoples’ Outcomes Framework (Tait, 2008)

Source: This vision is depicted in the Pacific Peoples’ Outcomes Framework (Figure 1)

developed by the Ministry of Pacific Islands Affairs.

The vision is of Pasifika children living as successful Pasifika people where there is family

and community strength, and higher income and living standards through advancements

in education and skills, health, employment and business.

Better performance in reducing poverty amongst Pasifika children

Recommendation 2:

The government should expect its agencies to ensure that Pasifika children’s progress

2 Adaptation of working definition of child poverty from the Expert Advisory Group on Solutions to Child Poverty. (EAG

Meeting minutes, 4 April 2012)

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against measures of child poverty will be at least on par with other children (non-Pasifika,

non- Māori) within ten years.

Recommendation 3:

Government agencies should be tasked with ensuring that they report on progress and

results delivered for Pasifika children. A lead agency (Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs or

State Service Commission) would develop a monitoring framework and report publically

on how well departments are delivering for Pasifika children.

Recommendation 4:

The government should ensure that Pasifika community and Church groups are enabled to

take a more active role in the design, implementation and delivery of social services

specifically targeted at addressing Pasifika child poverty.

Rationale

18. However successful New Zealand appears to be on the basis of international comparisons

of education, health, and labour market outcomes, Pasifika children are not sharing in the

success (Henare et al, 2011). Pasifika children suffer disproportionately in low living

standards. This is reflected in the low well-being of many Pasifika children and has high

social and economic costs.

19. Any approach to reducing child poverty in New Zealand must give proper regard to the

fact that Pasifika children experience much higher rates of poverty than Pākehā children.

On the basis of the Survey of Family, Income and Employment data, the rates of severe

and persistent poverty amongst Pasifika children are at least double those of Pākehā

children (Gunasekera et al, 2012). For instance, consider severe poverty, as measured by

those living in households with less than 60 percent of the median gross income and also

experiencing material deprivation, where the threshold is a lack of three or more items

on the NZiDep scale: the Pasifika rate was about 14 percent, while the rate for all other

children (excluding Māori) was around five percent. Likewise, persistent child poverty

amongst Pasifika (as measured by those in households with less than 60 percent of the

median gross income for at least three of four years during 2005-06 to 2008-09) was

about 34 percent. By contrast, the rate for all other children (excluding Māori) was

around 15 percent.

20. All poverty-related targets should balance aspiration with pragmatism. With this in mind,

the EAG is of the view that New Zealand’s long-term aim should be that every child in

New Zealand can grow up without experiencing poverty. Eradicating child poverty is

aspirational. The practical approach to achieving this vision is to focus on the reduction of

poverty through setting targets for challenging, child-focused results for the public sector

to achieve within ten years.

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21. It is the EAG’s expectation that Pasifika children’s progress against measures of child

poverty will be at least on par with other children (non-Pasifika, non-Māori). The goals

proposed by the EAG would be consistent with a reduction in child poverty of at least 30

percent on 2010 rates by 2022 (based on a moving-line income measure, before housing

costs) and 40 percent using an after-housing costs measure; the reduction in child

material deprivation would be at least 40 percent on 2008 rates by 2022. To achieve

parity for Pasifika children will require even greater rates of performance improvement in

reducing poverty. System-wide monitoring will be needed to monitor public service

performance in reducing poverty amongst Pasifika children, including:

What results did the agency plan specifically to achieve to contribute to the

reduction of Pasifika child poverty, and ensuring Pasifika children’s progress

against measures of child poverty will be at least on par with other children (non-

Pasifika, non- Māori) within ten years?

Was the money tagged for the reduction of Pasifika child poverty spent as

planned?

Was there value for money for Pasifika children and their communities?

What results were obtained to address child poverty amongst Pasifika people?

Were goals and targets achieved? What unanticipated outcomes occurred?

Could better results be obtained using a different approach or at a lower cost?

22. While there is a willingness to engage in consultation with agencies about poverty in New

Zealand, many Pasifika peoples are mindful that their raising of concerns and

involvement in solution-finding has been ongoing for decades without enough positive

change from public services. With families doing so much to create good futures for their

children, there is an impatience for public services to respond more effectively to the

needs of Pasifika children. An inclusive interagency approach is wanted to empower

Pasifika families as a whole rather than focusing separately on individual family children.

Some Pasifika families will want to come up with their own ways of improving their lives

and may want to work on this with a community or church, or a non-government

organisation (NGO). Other families will want to seek help from specialist providers who

can offer wrap-around services tailored to their needs. There may be opportunities for

Pasifika people within existing whole-of-government initiatives such as Whānau Ora.

23. Community groups and churches play an important role in many Pasifika families. In the

2006 Census, 83 percent of Pasifika people stated that they had a religion, compared to

61 percent of the overall population. There is a growing need to explore and forge

linkages with churches as conduits for effective communication and delivery of languages

and cultures. They also provide information about and some delivery of government

services relevant to addressing child poverty amongst Pasifika communities. Public

services can ensure Pasifika community and Church groups are enabled to have a more

active role in the design, implementation and delivery of social services specifically

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targeted at addressing Pasifika child poverty. Initially this will involve increasing the level

of awareness regarding child poverty and the consequences it has on these communities

in the medium to long term future. The investment approaches of agencies can support

Pasifika families to set their own direction to create good futures for their children.

Investment would be driven by a focus on outcomes: that families will be self-managing,

living healthy lifestyles, participating fully in society and communities, economically

secure and successfully involved in wealth creation, and cohesive, resilient and nurturing.

Engage high-quality research to drive innovation in public services for Pasifika children

Recommendation 5:

The government should ensure continued investment in research that supports evidence-

based practice that reduces Pasifika children poverty, and foster a collective approach to

knowledge generation and policy development for Pasifika children’s accelerated progress

against measures of child poverty.

Rationale

24. To ensure Pasifika children’s progress against measures of child poverty will be at least on

par with other children decision-making needs to be informed by high quality evidence.

Current measurements of Pasifika well-being take limited account of Pasifika world views.

New measurements and indices need to be developed that reflect Pasifika values,

spirituality and capabilities, shifting the focus of economics “from national income

accounting to people-centred policies3” (Henare et al, 2011; Sen, 2000). Pasifika-specific

evidence is needed.

25. Universities and the new Families Commission represent a potentially cost-effective

means of informing evidence-based socially-relevant policy development. Partnerships

would be incentivized and fostered to build regional networks, and dialogue, and a virtual

think tank that would lead national debate on child poverty amongst Pasifika peoples.

26. This network would promote collaboration between government, academia and private

sector institutions. Building on Teu le va (2009), a collective approach should be

developed to knowledge generation and policy development for Pasifika children’s

progress against measures of child poverty (Airini and Mila-Schaaf, 2010). The aim would

be to facilitate greater dialogue between researchers and public services, and the uptake

3 Examples of Pasifika responsive approaches to policy and research include: Airini, Anae, M., Mila-Schaaf, K. (2010). Teu

le va: Relationships across research and policy in Pasifika education: A collective approach to knowledge generation & policy development for action towards Pasifika education success. Wellington, New Zealand: Ministry of Education; Ministry of Pacific Iisland Affairs. (2006). Pacific analysis framework: Analysing public policy through Pacific lenses. Wellington, New Zealand: MPIA; Anae, Melani., Coxon, Eve., Mara, Diane., Wendt-Samu, Tanya., & Finau, Christine. (2001). Pasifika Education Research Guidelines. UniServices: Auckland; Health Research Council of New Zealand (2004). Guidelines on Pasifika Health Research. Auckland: Health Research Council of New Zealand.

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of evidence-based policy in public services, and to promote critical, innovative thinking

about ongoing challenges in poverty reduction.

27. In the education sector, improving achievement in education, through joint efforts to

increase early childhood participation, raise literacy and numeracy, and ensure Pasifika

children leave school with worthwhile qualifications and skills (including career plans

linking to higher paid jobs in high demand industries and financial literacy), is

fundamental to accelerated Pasifika achievement (MPIA: Statement of Intent, 2010).

28. There is a need to establish evidence-based effective teaching with Pasifika children and

to influence public services investment so that teaching in its many forms produces

better outcomes for Pasifika children learners. Aims would be to improve the learning

experience, and learners’ opportunities to complete studies successfully, and to sustain

both good teaching and good teachers4. A range of factors affect engagement of Pasifika

children in education and their failure to successfully make transitions through education

phases. These factors should be identified and weighed to evaluate ways to improve

Pasifika children’s engagement and achievement in education.

Accelerate Pasifika education outcomes

Recommendation 6:

The State Services Commission should monitor the contribution to reduced poverty

amongst Pasifika children by Better Public Services education results areas in ECE,

schooling and tertiary education. The goal should be to significantly increase Pasifika

educational participation and achievement at all levels by 20175.

4 Goals could include:

Pasifika children participate in high quality early childhood education that meets their and their families’ needs

Pasifika children start school at five with the basic skills required to succeed at school

Schools and teachers are delivering quality education and parents are positively engaged in their children’s learning

Children have opportunities to learn about Pacific languages and culture

Pasifika children achieve school and tertiary qualifications on a par at least, with other groups

Pasifika young people are actively engaged in tertiary education and obtaining higher qualifications that increase job opportunities in high paid, high demand industries.

5 (a) Result 2: Increase participation in early childhood education: In 2016, 98 percent of children starting school will have

participated in quality early childhood education. Lead Minister: Hon Tony Ryall and Hon Hekia Parata. Lead CEO: Ministry

of Social Development, Chief Executive Brendan Boyle - supported by Ministry of Education Chief Executive Lesley

Longstone;

(b) Result 5: Increase the proportion of 18-year-olds with NCEA Level 2 or equivalent qualification: 85 percent of 18 year

olds will have achieved NCEA level 2 or an equivalent qualification in 2017. Lead Minister: Hon Hekia Parata. Lead CEO:

Ministry of Education, Chief Executive Lesley Longstone;

(c) Result 6: Increase the proportion of 25-34 year olds with advanced trade qualifications, diplomas and degrees (at level 4

or above): 55 percent of 25 to 34-year-olds will have a qualification at level 4 or above in 2017. Lead Minister: Hon Steven

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Recommendation 7:

The Ministry of Education should promote Pacific languages and cultures as crucial for

Pasifika children’s success and improving academic performance, supporting identity, and

promoting social skills and economic prospects.

Rationale

29. Educational progress is a precondition for reducing Pasifika child poverty, and building

healthy, successful societies. Pasifika children are currently not well served by the New

Zealand education system (Min of Education: Briefing to the Incoming Minister, 2011).

This sector is the third largest area of government expenditure, with a 20 percent

increase in funding in the past ten years, and yet there has been minimal change by

international standards in New Zealand’s education performance (Makhlouf, 2012).

Pasifika New Zealanders generally have poor but improving education outcomes (Tait,

2008). Pasifika young people are under-achieving at all levels, from early childhood

education, compulsory and tertiary education to apprenticeships, skills development and

employment (MPIA: Briefing to the Incoming Minister, 2011). Performance against

selected education indicators shows an absence of parity for Pasifika children and adults,

by involvement and achievement (see Table 1).

30. Progression through school to qualifications is critical to future opportunities, well-being,

and pathways to higher income jobs. New Zealanders with post-school qualifications have

a significantly lower mortality rate than those with no qualifications or school

qualifications only (Johnston, 2004). Alternatively, lower levels of success in meeting the

UE criteria, for example, has been linked to lower levels of paid employment, lower

average income and increases in other negative social indicators such as crime, anxiety

disorders, anti-social disorders, suicide, teenage pregnancies, cigarette smoking and

health problems (Yuan et al, 2010).

Joyce. Lead CEO: Ministry of Education, Chief Executive Lesley Longstone. (refer http://www.ssc.govt.nz/bps-boosting-

skills-employment).

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Table 1: Profile of 100 Pasifika students starting school in 2011

Education involvement indicators Pasifika Non-Pasifika & non-Māori

Will have participated in early childhood education prior to

school

85 98

Will attend a decile 1-4 school 71 17

Will not have achieved basic literacy and numeracy skills by

age 10

16 4

Will be frequent truants by years 9 and 10 2 1

Will be stood down from school 3 2

Will continue studying at least until their 17th birthday 85 83

Will leave secondary school without a qualification 17 10

Will disengage from education, employment or training by

age 17

10 5

Will achieve NCEA level 1 literacy an numeracy requirements 86 92

Will leave school with NCEA level 2 or better 66 78

Will leave school with a university entrance standard 28 53

Will attain a bachelors level degree by age 25 12 29

Ministry of Education. (2011). Pasifika Education Plan 2009-2012 Mid-term review. Wellington, New Zealand:

Ministry of Education. In A. Sutton & Airini. (2011). A snapshot of Pasifika Education in Auckland 2011. Auckland,

New Zealand: COMET Education Trust and Raise Pasifika.

31. In New Zealand, the socio-economic background of a pupil is a greater influence on

success at school than in most other OECD countries. There is strong evidence however

that Pasifika students experience exceptional disadvantage. With regards to UE results

for example, while inequalities exist for all students in low-decile schools, inequalities

exist for Pasifika students in all schools and at all decile levels, when compared with their

Asian and Pākehā peers (Yuan et al, 2010; Makhlouf, 2012). Improving educational

achievement for all Pasifika young people is a priority.

32. Participation in quality ECE improves future educational outcomes. Whilst average

Pasifika ECE participation is 86 percent, this figure masks considerable local differences.

There is considerable community interest in having more Pasifika ECE services. This

requires more investment to train more teachers, develop resources and improve

capability including governance and management skills. In early-childhood education

Government’s target of 98 percent of new entrant children having participated in early

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childhood education by 2015 is a significant step up from current performance and will

require new policy and Budget initiatives. Opportunities include improving value from the

ECE system by directing available funding to supporting sustained participation of Pasifika

children in high quality ECE settings, community-level initiatives to improve Pasifika

participation in ECE, policy development to improve the quality of care that under-two

year olds receive in ECE, and ensuring continuity of learning between ECE and school (of

particular importance when transitioning from Pasifika-medium ECE) (Min of Education:

Briefing to the Incoming Minister, 2011).

33. In schooling what works for Pasifika children is (Sutton and Airini, 2011):

education that affirms and builds on Pasifika identity, culture, language and values

early learning that builds confidence, rich oral language and early literacy

supporting parents to be involved in their children’s learning

focused use of achievement data

effective transition between ECE and primary, primary and secondary and

secondary to tertiary and work

focused literacy and numeracy teaching

career information to inform subject choices at school.

34. The most important factor in improving Pasifika schooling outcomes is quality teaching

practice and professional leadership that connects with Pasifika students, their families,

and the wider community. The teacher is “the one source of variance that can be

enhanced with the greatest potential of success” (Hattie, 2003).

35. There are initiatives in hand that aim to address Pasifika underachievement: the

implementation of national standards in primary schooling, the development of Trades

Academies, a greater range of pathways in secondary education, and the Pasifika

Education Plan. The Starpath project, at the University of Auckland, researches barriers to

educational success for underrepresented groups. It has worked collaboratively with

Massey High School in Waitakere City for the last five years, collecting detailed data on

student achievement to identify those barriers. The research indicates that NCEA

students can make significant gains when detailed data on their academic progress is

used to help them meet their highest aspirations. Starpath also evaluated the Massey

High School Academic Counseling and Target Setting intervention. The intervention used

student achievement data to set individual and whole school academic targets. Data from

each student’s performance in years 9 through 11 were used to set targets for NCEA that

would stretch their abilities. Students’ regular academic counselling sessions with Deans

and parents were involved in the scheme.

36. The intervention boosted final year NCEA completions by an additional ten percent one

year after it was introduced. The biggest gains were made by Pasifika and Māori students,

with 20 percent more Pasifika students achieving NCEA in the vital areas of Level 1

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Numeracy and Literacy. These outcomes support the effective schools research showing

that students from low income and disadvantaged circumstances respond to high

expectations when they are provided with the resources that contribute to their success.

37. Initiatives also include a focus on continuous improvement in schools through stronger

professional leadership, enhanced accountability, a stronger focus on increasing cultural

responsiveness and capability development (including through National Standards).

These features have been shown to provide platforms to lift Pasifika student

achievement (Min of Education: Briefing to the Incoming Minister, 2011). Also, as

indicated in the EAG paper on education solutions to child poverty, the Compass for

Pasifika Success is an initiative that aims to mitigate the effects of poverty and

disadvantage faced by Pasifika children and young people. The initiative identifies five key

areas (levers for change) to improve educational outcomes for Pasifika students: literacy

and numeracy, families and community engagement, governance and leadership,

transitions, and effective teaching and learning. Finally, parents, families and children

need to be supported to become more demanding of their education system through

better information about how the system and each school is performing, how they can

support their child’s learning, and what they as parents and children should expect from

an excellent education system (Min of Education: Briefing to the Incoming Minister,

2011).

38. To accelerate Pasifika achievement at higher levels in the tertiary system, from 2013

providers are to plan to support Pasifika learners to achieve on a par at least, with other

groups (Tertiary Education Commission, 2012). System level improvement is supported

through policies that incentivise providers to meet the needs of Pasifika students, some

of whom may require targeted recruitment strategies, tailored learning environments, or

academic or pastoral care. Strengthened pathways into further education, training, and

employment, and provider performance information are also important system-level

levers.

39. Bilingualism has been shown to be effective in improving academic performance,

supporting identity, and promoting social skills and economic prospects. From a Pasifika

child perspective, four key areas from research highlight why bilingual learners in additive

bilingualism and biliteracy programmes out-perform monolingual children: cognitive

flexibility, metalinguistic awareness, communicative sensitivity and field independence

(McComish et al, 2007). Bilingual children have academic success when connections are

made:

between literacies and children’s identities

between children’s first language (L1) and their second language (L2)

with children’s L1 and L2 basic interpersonal communication skills and cognitive

academic language proficiency

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between teaching practices and children’s prior knowledge, allowing children to

voice their languages in class rather than hiding them

with use of collaborative empowerment models to voice parents’aspirations and

expectations for genuine ‘shared vision’ partnerships between the powerful and

powerless, not tokenism (Tuafuti et al, 2008).

40. Pasifika language development has been linked by government policy to raising education

achievement. There is now a need to also establish how language and culture can

contribute to eliminating poverty amongst Pasifika children. Identified factors should be

analysed to evaluate policy directions and implementation initiatitives that would

support Pasifika children towards living as successful Pasifika people where there is family

and community strength, and higher income and living standards.

Lift Pasifika children’s living standards through skills development

Recommendation 8:

To support full spectrum of poverty in Pasifika ‘childhood’, support and enhance industry

groups, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and

Employment should call together industry groups to examine ways to promote life-long

learning, and to bridge gaps between Pasifika learners, educational offerings and

employers’ needs. These ministries should help foster consensus about priorities and

service models to ensure that Pasifika children’s progress against measures of child

poverty will be at least on par with other children (non-Pasifika, non-Māori) within ten

years.

Recommendation 9:

The government should create, through a range of policy initiatives, a pro-work

environment that supports young parents into appropriate skills education and work

through the provision of high-quality ECE and OSCAR.

Rationale

41. Pasifika peoples’ income levels are amongst the lowest for all New Zealanders. Just over

half of the 200,000 New Zealand children living below the poverty line are Pasifika or

Māori, experiencing significantly poorer health, educational, and social outcomes than all

others (Henare et al, 2011).

42. Many Pasifika families have borne the brunt of economic restructuring of the 1980s with

the disappearance of manufacturing jobs, and the current recession in which Pasifika

unemployment rates have increased greatly. Entitlement to assistance based on the

labour market creates a complex and enduring trap for affected Pasifika peoples and

their children (Henare et al, 2011). 30 percent of Pasifika are on some form of benefit

(Henare et al, 2011). Child poverty is disproportionately high among beneficiary families.

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43. Poor housing outcomes for Pasifika peoples point to pressures arising from low

disposable income resulting in overcrowding, with a flow-on impact on poor health and

education achievement. 43 percent of Pasifika people live in households requiring an

extra bedroom, compared to four percent of Pākehā households (Henare et al, 2011).

Overcrowded housing is most acute in South Auckland, where there are significant

Pasifika populations. Pasifika peoples continue to be over-represented in most areas of

the criminal justice system.

44. Currently, Pasifika peoples are over-represented in the lower-skilled occupations and in

those that are projected to have low future growth (e.g. clerical office positions), and

underrepresented in occupations with high growth (business professionals) (MPIA: Career

futures for Pacific peoples, 2010). This matters for Pasifika children, both as future

employees and also when growing up in households living off resources afforded by such

jobs. Where Pasifika peoples are in industry groups with high future growth, they are

more likely to be in the low-skilled, low-paid occupations within them. The continuing

over-representation of Pacific peoples in low skilled areas is neither equitable for Pasifika

communities nor good for the social and economic wellbeing of New Zealand as a whole

or the households in which Pasifika children grow up. Pasifika literacy and numeracy has

been growing, but not sufficiently fast given the rapid loss of jobs in the economy. The

wellbeing of Pacific peoples and their families, as well as the New Zealand economy, will

depend on them gaining employment in areas that will meet their aspirations and the

national and international labour market requirements of the future. If by 2021 Pacific

peoples’ wage incomes are similar to the incomes of non- Pasifika people, the benefits to

the New Zealand economy would be in the order of $4 to $5 billion in 2001 price terms

(Pacific Peoples’ Economic Participation Report, 2005).

45. A priority is supporting young Pasifika people once they have exited compulsory

education. Pasifika young people continue to be overrepresented in unemployment

statistics and in low paid occupations. The proportion of Pacific young people (15-24

years) who were not in employment, education or training (NEET) as at June 2011 was

13.8 percent (compared to 9.8 percent for all young people). The high level of Pasifika

youth unemployment is an important challenge relevant to child poverty amongst

Pasifika peoples.

46. The income level of Pasifika peoples affects children’s poverty in two ways: as children

who are approaching adulthood and have income and employment needs, and through

the resources made available to children growing in households drawing on the income

of the parent(s).

47. Two aspects have been identified for improving future employment prospects for Pasifika

peoples - shift qualifications and employment choices to higher-demand industry sectors,

and shift from low- to high-skills jobs within high-growth industries (MPIA: Career futures

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for Pacific peoples, 2010). To achieve this, Pasifika young people require:

improved education system performance for Pasifika children

effective schooling6 and subject choices that open up future education and career

pathways

understanding of key areas of future employment demand

retention and progression in tertiary education, including progression to higher-

level student through industry training pathways and trade apprenticeships

((MPIA: Career futures for Pacific peoples, 2010).

48. Research suggests that micro-finance can be effective in empowering poor communities

and supporting the alleviation of poverty. Employment strategies need to be mindful of

gender considerations, family responsibilities and the rural/urban context. Given the

constraints in the labour market there is also the need for such innovation to ensure early

labour market engagement.

49. As noted in the EAG Working Papers No 16: Education solutions to mitigate child poverty and No

12: Employment, skills and training options to reduce child poverty, for high level labour

participation. it is important that the social environment is pro-work with quality ECE and

OSCAR in place.

Make progress in Auckland

Recommendation 10:

The government should ensure that public services identify and integrate Auckland-

focused strategies to address poverty experienced by Pasifika children. A plan for targeted

action within Auckland to overcome child poverty amongst Pasifika peoples should be

developed in collaboration with local communities, government agencies with Auckland-

based initiatives and networks, Council and others.

Rationale

50. Auckland is a distinctive New Zealand feature when addressing child poverty amongst

Pasifika peoples. Auckland is home to the majority of the country’s Pasifika children. 67

percent of all Pasifika in New Zealand live in Auckland7. These 177,936 Pasifika

Aucklanders make up 13.7 percent of Auckland’s population, with 49 percent of Pasifika

6 Solutions include making more achievement standards available to Pasifika students in schools so they can gain higher

qualifications. See Turner, T. R., Irving, S. E., Li, M., Yuan, J. (2010). Availability of NCEA Standards: Impact on Success Rate.

Auckland: Starpath Project, University of Auckland.

7 The data from this section on Auckland is drawn from Sutton, A., Airini. (2011). A snapshot of Pasifika Education in Auckland

2011. Auckland, New Zealand: COMET Education Trust and Raise Pasifika.

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Aucklanders living in Manukau. At least one in four babies born now in Auckland is

Pacific. By 2021 there will be at least 87,000 more Pasifika peoples in Auckland. 37

percent of Pasifika Aucklanders are less than 15 years old (compared to 22 percent of

total Auckland population). Auckland’s Pasifika babies will grow up to represent a quarter

of new job entrants in that city in fifteen to twenty years. Currently too few Pasifika

Aucklanders are in jobs. In 2011, 21.5 percent of working age Pasifika Aucklanders were

unemployed, compared with a 7.5 percent Auckland unemployment rate.

51. Relatively low education achievement levels are too prevalent for the 53,381 Auckland

Pasifika school students in 2010 (20 percent of all Auckland students). 60 percent of

Auckland Pasifika school leavers in 2009 had NCEA L2 or above (compared to 73.6

percent for all Auckland school leavers), 24 percent Auckland Pasifika Year 13 candidates

achieved UE in 2010 (compared to 59 percent of Pākehā), four percent of Pasifika

Aucklanders have degrees and one percent have post-graduate degrees (compared to

14.3 percent and 5.6 percent of all Aucklanders). Achievement is low.

52. A focus on Auckland represents the opportunity to significantly reduce poverty

experienced by Pasifika children.

Better housing for Pasifika children and their families

Recommendation 11:

The government should seek to expand the stock of state, council, community and

affordable housing to meet the needs of Pasifika families with children.

Recommendation 12:

The government should support the implementation of Orama Nui – Housing Strategy for

Pacific Peoples sets out a strategic direction over a 10-year period (2009 – 2019) and a

plan of action that will cover the first year of the strategy. The strategy will focus on

improving Housing New Zealand Corporation’s ability to deliver services to Pasifika

peoples.

Recommendation 13:

The government should develop a range of additional practical measures to increase the

ability for Pasifika low-income households with children to purchase their own home.

Rationale

53. Pasifika experiences and understandings about housing are diverse. Having secure and

affordable housing improves the ability of Pasifika households in greatest need to provide

a stable environment for their children, with consequent improvements in health,

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employment and educational outcomes. Housing policy and planning are therefore

cornerstones of social policy and central to the realisation of other government

objectives.

54. The housing conditions in which some Pasifika children live can highlight particular

challenges with housing needs. Pasifika families have low home ownership rates

compared to other New Zealanders. Most Pasifika children and their families live in

private rental accommodation or state houses, where they represent 25 percent of the

state tenant base. Housing costs can aggravate the poverty experienced by low-income

households and especially those households with children. Tenant households are

generally younger and poorer than owner-occupier households. While 33 percent

percent of all households rent rather than own their homes, children are over-

represented with 39 percent of all children living in tenant households (James and Saville-

Smith, 2010). Tenant households move more frequently than owner-occupiers and this

disrupts schooling for their children, especially for families who relocate frequently

(Johnson, 2011).

55. Pasifika people predominantly live in Auckland and Wellington. These areas have a high

concentration of social housing. While two percent of the Pākehā population resided in

Housing Corporation housing, 26 percent of the Pasifika population resided in this type of

housing (Flynn and Soa-Lafoa, 2010).

56. Overcrowded housing is most acute in South Auckland, where the highest proportion of

Pasifika Aucklanders live. This means that Pasifika children are most likely to live in

severely crowded housing. Even though rates of crowding have declined since 1986 they

are still higher than for people with Pākeha ethnicity. The proportions of people living in

crowded conditions have stayed relatively stable at five percent for people with Pākeha

ethnicity and 43 percent for people with Pasifika ethnicity (Statistics, New Zealand, 2012).

57. The key housing challenges for Pasifika families with children are:

rental affordability

rental quality

household crowding in rental properties

discrimination

achieving home ownership

costs and pitfalls of home ownership

barriers and solutions to realising housing aspirations

financial and cultural factors affecting home ownership

difficulties in accessing information, including co-ordination with other agencies.

57. Access to warm, stable, safe and high quality housing is an important determinant of

good health (Howden-Chapman & Carroll, 2004). The impact of poor housing during

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childhood has significant social and financial costs that seriously damage life chances.

These issues are addressed in detail in EAG Working Paper No. 18: Housing policy

recommendations to address child poverty

58. That many Pasifika families with children are not able to access a standard of housing

that will ensure their children grow up healthy is a critical issue. Social housing is an

important part of the solution to this. By social housing, we are referring to housing

provided on the basis of assessed financial and social need; at subsidised rates; with

active tenancy management. There is growing evidence that social housing is a very

effective way of protecting children in poverty. For example, in the United States, a large

sample of children of low-income renter families who receive public housing subsidies,

found that children in these families are less likely to have anthropometric indications of

under-nutrition than those of comparable families not receiving housing subsidies,

especially if the family is not only low income but also food insecure. Social housing is of

critical importance for many low-income families and expansion of the stock of such

housing should be a high priority.

59. At less than five percent of the total housing stock, New Zealand has a comparatively

small social housing sector, and the overwhelming proportion of this is owned and

managed by Housing New Zealand Corporation (HNZC). On current policy settings, while

the stock of social housing is likely to remain relatively stable, it will continue to fall as a

proportion of the total housing stock.

60. Demand for social housing significantly exceeds supply. While there is reason to question

the HNZC waiting lists as a reliable indication of demand, it is fair to assume they are

under-estimates of actual demand, and a portion of those in private rentals would be

better served in social housing. With historically relatively high levels of unemployment,

the excess demand for social housing can be expected to continue, if not increase, over

the medium-to-long-term.

61. Expanding the stock of social housing should be a long-term commitment and will require

a considerable capital investment over an extended period of time. There should be

adequate support for, and incentives to encourage, the expansion of the community

housing sector, including ongoing capital and operational support, although it remains to

be seen whether the community housing sector can provide the economies of scale

available to HNZC.

62. Current policy settings do not assist the development of community housing. In

particular, those renting from community housing providers are not eligible for income-

related rental subsidies. Thus, they are at a disadvantage relative to those who are

housed by HNZC. Moreover, if community housing providers supply houses at below

market rentals, this will reduce the level of assistance available to renters via the

Accommodation Supplement, with no offsetting subsidy to the provider.

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Pasifika aspirations to own their home align strongly with the aspirations of other New

Zealanders. The report Pacific Housing Experiences: Developing Trends and Issues

prepared for the Centre for Housing Research (Koloto and Associates, 2007), investigated

the housing experiences and aspirations of Pasifika communities in New Zealand.

63. The Koloto report recommended solutions with stronger partnership between public

service agencies and communities:

Improve access to information, services and finance for those Pasifika families

who currently do not know where to go for information or do not feel confident

approaching a government agency or financial institution.

Initiatives are developed to allow Pasifika families to benefit from the strengths of

Pacific cultural practices, including income sharing among extended families and

across households and the provision of financial support to benefit the family as a

whole.

Housing New Zealand staff are able to benefit from the knowledge and experience

of Pasifika community leaders so that they can provide a better service to their

clients.

Improve the supply and appropriateness of state housing quality and design for

larger Pacific households; and services as landlord to Pasifika tenants.

Explore ways to encourage developers and community housing groups or trusts to

build and maintain affordable rental housing suitable for Pasifika families.

Work with other central and local government agencies to develop initiatives that

will encourage developers to supply purpose-designed, affordable housing for

Pasifika families.

64. Also signaled in the EAG paper on housing factors, there are a range of measures that

could support more low income families, including Pasifika families, become home

owners:

Welcome Home Loans and a possibly enhanced Kiwi Saver first-home deposit

subsidy programme

subsidised and guaranteed 5-10 year low mortgage interest rates for first time

home owners

shared equity models

deposit assistance schemes.

65. Affordable housing developments could be more viable with support from local councils

planning. For example, surplus government and Council land could be sold on preferential

terms to community housing and affordable housing suppliers. The community benefit

could be captured through a betterment tax, created by rezoning land for residential

developments.

Page 21 of 29

66. Because of their rating base and their capacity to raise local government bonds, councils

have a number of financial policy instruments that they could use to increase affordable

home-ownership. For example, councils could offer Affordable Housing Bonds. Despite

political pressure not to raise rates, councils have financial flexibility to enable

Development Impact Levies to be amortised over the life-cycle of development. Resource

and building consent processes streamlined with efficiency gains. Entrepreneurial

councils could also support public/private/community partnerships or the growth of third

party social enterprises that concentrate on increasing the supply of affordable housing.

67. The Ministry of Housing’s Orama Nui Housing Strategy for Pacific Peoples is a response to

better meet the housing needs and aspirations of Pasifika peoples. It builds on the

strengths of Pasifika families, evident in the support provided by the wider family, the

community and the church. Working together is vital for the success of the Housing

Strategy for Pacific Peoples. This strategy was produced in collaboration with the Ministry

for Pacific Island Affairs and its involvement is to continue into the implementation

phase, along with other government and non-government agencies. An example of inter-

agency cooperation is the Tāmaki Transformation Programme in Auckland where 50

percent of Tāmaki’s population are Pasifika peoples. Pasifika families and their children

will be among the first to benefit from this urban regeneration initiative.

68. In the long term, poor housing will sustainably be addressed by empowering Pasifika

peoples to become financially independent through employment including self-

employment. Such initiatives are likely to be more successful if implemented in

partnership with existing Pasifika communities. Addressing the housing concerns

associated with Pasifika child poverty requires a composite approach that addresses the

medium and long-term aspirations of Pasifika children and families alongside the dynamic

interplay of social, health and economic needs, with culture.

Healthy Pasifika children

Recommendation 14:

The government should ensure that free primary health care is available to all children

and prioritise integrated service delivery in the design of health services for Pasifika

children.

Recommendation 15:

The Ministry of Health should continue and enhance current initiatives that aim to

increase access by Pasifika children to health care services, including the Ministry of

Health’s Pacific Health work programmes.

Page 22 of 29

Recommendation 16:

The Ministry of Health should initiate a Pasifika children health promotion campaign

through the family health centres, community networks and Pacific health providers

aimed at improving the poor health status of Pasifika children living in conditions of

poverty; and increase Pasifika parents’ awareness of programmes that will assist them

and their children.

Rationale

69. Children growing up in poverty, particularly in the early years of childhood increase the

risk of on-going health problems throughout their lives. The social and economic factors

that have been shown to have the greatest influence on Pasifika children’s health include

poverty measures:

27 percent of Pacific peoples meet the criteria for living in severe hardship

compared to 8 percent of the total population. In addition, 15 percent of Pacific

peoples live in significant hardship, with only one percent enjoying ‘very good

living standards’

Pasifika children are less likely to be living in family owned homes (26 percent

compared to 55 percent nationally) and more likely to live in overcrowded

households;

lifestyle factors, including values and preferences, can influence how Pasifika

parents view health care

under utilisation of primary and preventative health care services by Pacific

parents and lower rates of selected secondary care interventions8.

70. On average, Pasifika families are more exposed to these risk factors than other New

Zealanders. With a better understanding of the contributing factors and the interplay

between them, it will be possible to tailor solutions to the chronic disease problem

among Pasifika children and their families.

71. Not only have health outcomes for New Zealand children worsened over the past three

decades, disparities in poor health outcomes have widened as well (Henare et al, 2011).

The World Health Organisation’s constitution declares that it is one of the fundamental

rights of every human being to enjoy the highest attainable standard of health.

Enjoyment of good health is the birthright of every child in New Zealand.

72. A Pasifika child growing up in poverty in New Zealand has two to three times poorer

health than the Pākeha child (Henare et al, 2011). For example, Pasifika children have an

11 times increased risk of being admitted to hospital with bronchiectasis compared with a

8 See http://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/populations/pacific-health/factors-affecting-pacific-peoples-health.

Page 23 of 29

Pākeha child (Craig et al, 2007; Craig et al, 2008; NZ Child and Youth Epidemiology

Service, 2008). Pasifika children have higher rates of hospitalisation for acute and chronic

respiratory and infectious diseases than any other group in New Zealand.

73. As noted in the EAG background papers on health and on Māori child poverty, it is critical

that all children have access to quality and accessible primary health care. One of the

priority areas is to increase the engagement of Pasifika women and their families, with

health services beginning in pregnancy. Investing during the antenatal and early years of

child development is the most cost-effective investment that government can make.

Ministry of Health data from 2010 indicate that more than one third of all Pasifika women

were not attended by a community-based Lead Maternity Carer (LMC) during their

pregnancies; and were least likely to be attended, of all population groups. Pasifika

women with others with low attendance are also least likely to enrol with a LMC early in

their pregnancies and, when other risks are present (e.g. smoking and alcohol use, family

violence, obesity, poor nutrition, housing issues), their children are at greater risk of birth

defects, infant mortality, poor health and development problems. Early engagement can

enable health providers to inform and encourage pregnant Pasifika women, e.g. to have

better antenatal nutrition; and discontinue smoking and alcohol use, and also to offer

appropriate social supports, e.g. housing, income support, other social services.

74. There are strategies for engagement from the international literature and within

communities in New Zealand such as training and supervising locally based women who

are part of the Pasifika community as paraprofessionals who use their relationships in

their community to reach out to those groups and individuals who may not otherwise

seek health services when they become pregnant. Primary care services that are located

in the neighborhood and within a multi-use neighborhood centre (such as a Pacific

language early childhood centre) can also support early engagement with maternity

services. Early engagement and continuity of care can be effective when health provider

contracts and job descriptions include culturally responsive engagement with Pasifika

women living in low income and disadvantaged circumstances. The resulting system

should provide models of outreach and culturally responsive service delivery that result

in early engagement and continuity of care for Pasifika women experiencing disadvantage

who are least likely to engage early with maternity services. Through the EAG Health

paper we recommend that the government direct health services, using District Health

Boards as one mechanism, to increase the uptake and early engagement with maternity

services (by 10 weeks of pregnancy) of women from low socioeconomic backgrounds,

especially teenagers, Māori and Pasifika.

75. Young people, especially those living in poverty and disadvantage, can be vulnerable

during adolescence to health and mental health problems. Resiliency as individual

children and resiliency as families and communities should feature as a central focus in

the scientific literature on Pasifika peoples. In addition, investment in resiliency-oriented

Page 24 of 29

research on early, middle and later adolescence of Pasifika youth is needed to clearly

identify the psychosocial strengths and socio-cultural factors which decrease harms and

increase pro-social behaviours and social capital. Investment strategies that evaluate

Pasifika initiatives are needed (Siataga, 2011). The EAG also recommends continued and

sustained investment in the health and mental health of older children, especially at the

time of transition to adolescence.

76. Given the evidence of poorer health outcomes for Pasifika children it is critical that free

primary health care is available. Disparities in poor health outcomes have widened in

New Zealand. The United Nations Committee of the Rights of the Child (2011)

recommends that inequalities in access to health care be addressed by a two-pronged

approach: co-ordination across government departments and the co-ordination between

policies for health and policies that are focused on reducing income inequality and

poverty (UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, 2011).

Justice services for Pasifika young people to live and work in the wider community

Recommendation 17:

The Ministry of Justice should evaluate youth justice initiatives and support alternatives to

confinement that better prepare Pasifika young people for living and working in the wider

community.

Recommendation 18:

The government should support integrated delivery of services through community groups

and churches.

Rationale

77. Adjusting for the size of populations, about twice as many Pasifika peoples as Pākeha

were apprehended, prosecuted, convicted, or given a custodial sentence; and three times

as many were serving prison sentences or remanded in custody. Half of all Pasifika

offenders who received a custodial sentence were convicted of a violent offence.

According to the Ministry of Justice, Pasifika people’s over-representation in the criminal

justice system seems to be centred on socioeconomic risk factors (rather than ethnicity),

such as:

a lack of understanding of Pacific culture and language, leading to a loss of identity

and isolation from community support

family breakdown as a result of poor parent/child relationships, low educational

achievement and unemployment, leading to alcohol and drug abuse and family

violence

Page 25 of 29

Pacific immigrants facing new environments, lack of support, and language

barriers.

78. As signaled in the EAG Working Paper No. 14: Reducing child poverty in Māori whānau,

the alleviation of poverty would go some way in reducing criminal offending and reducing

high incarceration rates in New Zealand. The impact of incarceration is not purely limited

to the individual that is imprisoned. There is a negative impact on imprisonment on

families and especially children (Kingi, 2008). In recent years there has been increasing

attention given to the children and families of prisoners with much of the literature

framing them as the collateral or forgotten victims of crime (National Health Committee,

2008; National Health Committee, 2010; Roguski and Chauvel, 2009). Patterns of ethnic

and social class disparities are likely to be further reproduced by the inter-generational

exclusion of children of incarcerated parents from other major public institutions such as

health, housing, education and political participation. As commentators have noted

‘getting tough on crime’ has often meant getting tough on children (Phillips and Bloom,

1998).

79. Across New Zealand, and at different stages of the criminal justice system, there are

programmes for Pasifika peoples that are said to be effective or that show promise.

Considerable practitioner expertise and volunteer effort has developed in agencies and in

community-based service deliverers. Success, though, is often dependent on individuals

rather than structures and systems, and is not easily replicable. There is evidence of

agency disconnection and fragmentation in implementing programmes. The relatively

recent introduction of the Pasifika courts needs to be evaluated and increased support

given to initiatives that offer similarly constructive alternatives to confinement and

integrate young people with their wider community.

80. In 2006, the Ministry of Justice indicated that officials had not at that time identified

initiatives specific to Pasifika peoples that would reliably and sustainably affect their

offending. The disproportionately high number of Pasifika youths before the court is in

part the result of Pacific child poverty allowed to continue and to grow. Although further

research will need to be carried out to accurately measure the link between Pasifika child

poverty and youth violence and suicide, teenage pregnancy, youth crime and

imprisonment, the association between them is clear. Child poverty lowers the likelihood

of educational achievement and success, leading to financial dependence, low self-

esteem and eventually resentment.

81. Addressing the negative outcomes of child poverty in the context of family and youth

justice may be divided into two parts: directly address the income and material

deprivation; and develop social identity.

82. All in all, the criminal justice system needs to do far better at stemming the entry of

Pasifika peoples, and managing their exit. Issues that need to be addressed include:

Page 26 of 29

How the Government can best support Pasifika peoples’ communities to reduce

victimisation, offending and re-offending, and improve responsiveness to

programmes developed by Pasifika peoples’ communities.

How the Government can best support families of offenders who are involved in

remand/bail, restorative justice and family group conferences, home detention,

and prisoner reintegration.

How to ensure consistency and fairness for Pasifika peoples at all points in the

criminal justice system where there is an element of discretion.

Having people who become trusted workers and role models on the street and in

the home is likely to be significant. Community groups, such as churches are

useful sites of integrated service delivery.

83. While steps have been taken to improve integrated delivery of services through

community groups and churches, there is more potential to develop this partnership to

stem the entry of Pasifika peoples into the criminal justice system and to manage their

transition and successful exit.

Page 27 of 29

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