30 August 2019
Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy of upmost importance for our tamariki
“The Government’s Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy, which was released yesterday, is an extremely positive step
towards improving the lives of tamariki in New Zealand,” says Professor Wayne Cutfield, A Better Start National Science
“We welcome the approach the Strategy has taken, as it closely aligns with the A Better Start’s vision that children and
young people are taonga, and every child should have the best start in life. Their wellbeing is a priority for all of
us,” he says.
“Our submission to the draft Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy reflected our view that it is imperative that the
Government implements policies to improve child wellbeing in the first 1,000 days of a child’s life,” Professor Cutfield
The future of our country depends on investing in our children’s health, education and wellbeing. A Better Start’s three
key themes – Healthy Weight, Resilient Teens and Successful Learning – support the wellbeing strategy’s focus of
improving child wellbeing and supporting mental health.
“Our team of researchers are creating the tools and methods to predict, prevent and intervene early, so that children
have a healthy weight, are successful learners, and teenagers can access the tools they need to look after their mental
health. These themes closely mirror the Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy’s key priorities that will make real
improvements to the lives of New Zealanders.”
“It is extremely important that all policies and practices developed from the Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy include
evidence-based interventions, and that there are methods to measure whether the policies are working. A Better Start can
play an important role here as we have roles that scientists such as the research teams in the Challenge can contribute
to,” says Professor Cutfield.
The future of our country depends on investing in our children’s health, education and wellbeing, to ensure that we have
a successful New Zealand.