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National promises new parents $ 3,000 to spend on services as part of a “first 1000 days” policy.
The party’s minors policy will give high-risk parents an additional $ 3000 to spend on parenting services, provide more pre- and postpartum screenings, fund a three-day postnatal stay at hospitals or community delivery facilities, and allow both parents take parental leave at the same time.
National leader Judith Collins, who announced the policy in Ashburton on Thursday, said it aimed to give parents more options about the support they receive in the child’s first 1,000 days.
“Studies have shown that countries that do not invest in the well-being of women and children during this crucial time will suffer worse economic outcomes in the future, due to lower productivity and higher healthcare costs,” Collins said.
National’s children’s policies are expected to cost $ 226 million a year.
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National has also announced its intention to partially undo the Labor “Best Start” payment by making the scheme resource tested from year one.
Payments of $ 60 a week are currently universally provided to families in their newborn’s first year, and during their second and third years if the family earns less than $ 93,000 a year.
National’s children’s policies would be in addition to existing services, and the total annual cost of the seven-point package was expected to be $ 226 million, including $ 157 million for payments of $ 3,000 and $ 16 million for stays of three days.
The $ 3,000 payment plan would not provide parents with cash, but a portion of the government-administered funds that parents could choose to allocate to specific services.
“It’s not just cash in hand, it’s to help with services that are needed,” Collins said. Stuff.
“Most people will take some right, whether they take it or not everything is another. I think there will be some parents who will say: ‘Yes, no, I don’t need that, I know what I’m doing’ … There will be others they will absolutely need it. “
Services listed by the party in its policy document include obstetricians, specialists, in-home support to learn “mothering skills,” plus hours in early childhood education facilities for older children, home visits from health professionals, and programs. community and mentoring.
“It’s just another way of adding some services that people are going to need. It could be something like, something like the need to be able to sleep, make the baby sleep, all that kind of thing,” Collins said.
The party has reaffirmed its commitment to allow both parents to take parental leave at the same time.
This was a point of contention for the party when the Labor-led government passed urgent legislation in 2017 to increase parental leave rights to 26 weeks from July 2020.
The government blocked an attempt by National to have the law allow both parents to take leave at the same time. National denounced the move, saying that Labor was “reverting to babysitting status of telling families how to organize their lives.”
“We think it’s important, and we also know that not everyone uses all of their paid parental leave, but it’s really important that a child really bond with their parents, it’s really important,” Collins said.
“It’s very difficult trying to work and have a newborn baby … We just think we have to be a little kinder to moms and dads.”
Parents will be provided with a free bedside medical exam as part of the policy, as well as a “B4 School Check” for all three-year-olds.
Other aspects of the policy include a “children’s passport” system, which will be reviewed by the Ministry of Health. Healthy child reserve and create an electronic record of the child’s development.
The party also wants to create a “National Center for Child Development” at an unspecified university, which will “bring together the best of research in health, neuroscience and early childhood education” and establish best practice standards for child development.
Labor has yet to announce specific policies for children for the 2020 elections. The party, which campaigned to reduce child poverty in 2017, has established a “Child and Youth Welfare Strategy” while in government and expanded the plan. Working for Families tax credit.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Thursday that her party had a strong record of helping parents and said her government had provided the Best Start payments.
“I am very proud of the track record we have on supporting families, increasing paid parental leave … which has made one of the biggest differences for parents,” she said.
ACT leader David Seymour said National’s policy was smart and irresponsible, viewing the $ 3,000 payments as “universal welfare.”
“The social investment approach and improved newborn screening is smart, but universal welfare is irresponsible in today’s climate,” he said.
Seymour said even millionaires would get paid according to National’s plan.
