Building A Truly Safe And Capable Workforce: What The $71.5 Million Investment Must Deliver
Today Minister Erica Stanford announced as part of the $774 million investment to improve the current redress system for survivors of abuse in state care, changes would be made that will endeavour to "prevent, identify, and respond to abuse in the future".
Within this package, $71.5 million has been earmarked specifically for "building a capable and safe care workforce for children and vulnerable adults."
Safeguarding Children Chief Executive Willow Duffy says this funding represents an opportunity – but only if it is deployed it to address the fundamental systemic failures that continue to put vulnerable New Zealanders at risk.
'As we consider this $71.5 million investment in building a safe and capable workforce there are some key questions we must ask. Who is included in this workforce? Does it include teachers, doctors, nurses? These occupations all have a role to play in keeping our children safe.
Duffy says that every New Zealander deserves to know exactly how this funding will create care environments where abuse becomes truly exceptional rather than predictable.
'Until we build a workforce where safeguarding isn't just a compliance exercise but a fundamental professional value, we'll continue seeing preventable harm to those most dependent on our protection.
'The $71.5 million must deliver transformational change in how we select, train, support, and hold accountable those entrusted with our most vulnerable citizens. We need more than just incremental improvements.'
Duffy says the $71.5 million allocation could be transformative if it delivers:
A nationwide credentialing system similar to Australia's Blue Card—providing consistent vetting standards across all care settings
Specific codes of conduct that prioritise the prevention of abuse
Mandatory, comprehensive safeguarding training for all care providers and their leadership
Clear consequences for organisations that fail to maintain safeguarding standards
Structural supports that elevate care work as a valued, professional career path.
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At the same time, questions about IVF are frequently dismissed as too sensitive or taboo, even by the broader community. Most participants in our research had been experiencing their fertility journey in a marginalised and isolated way. The isolation is not just in being childless: they are also left behind when it comes to accessing the religious /faith guidance they require when considering medical intervention. The ripple effect Caught between indifference from both spiritual leaders and clinicians, many participants said they withdrew from community life or delayed care. Others turned to YouTube fatwas (rulings on Islamic law) and global WhatsApp groups for guidance. One Muslim man spoke of doing his own research to find out if IVF was halal after being rejected by the local Imam. 'As we did not really get the answers [on IVF] from the local Imams, we then used YouTube of the Ustadz we knew from Indonesia. 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As a result, Muslim patients are often left to reconcile medical advice with their religious beliefs on their own. The same is true when they have to face miscarriage or failed insemination. While counselling treatment is offered, the service is secular which, for our participants, does not address their faith needs. While participants were appreciative of all the services and care given by health providers and the government, the lack of support from both religious and medical systems has left many Muslim women and couples feeling isolated and marginalised. What does it mean for Aotearoa? This isn't just a Muslim issue, it's about ensuring Aotearoa's healthcare and communities uplift all who call this land home. Some options: – Imams and doctors collaborating on faith-aware fertility guidelines. – Training programmes to help clinics navigate religious sensitivities. – Community-led initiatives normalising these conversations (this may need to involve the Muslim women organisations). With New Zealand's fertility rates declining and diversity growing, addressing these gaps isn't just compassionate, it's urgent. The country needs more inclusive, culturally aware healthcare and community support structures. Zainab and Ali finally underwent IVF in their home country after navigating the religious and financial aspects, which took a considerable amount of time. Because of the delayed care in Aotearoa, Zainab became too old (40) to apply for public funding for IVF treatment. If the religious guidance they needed had been available to them sooner, Zainab might still have been eligible for funding and been able to access the better medical treatment offered by fertility clinics in Aotearoa. A couple of years later, Zainab and Ali's last treatment in their home country was unsuccessful. They still wanted to try but Zainab was not getting any younger. As they expressed to me before we parted: 'Perhaps we are not blessed to be parents, and there is something better that God will provide to us.' This piece has been written and published as part of a Marsden research project, which investigates the accessibility of assisted reproduction technologies in Aotearoa. The project is led by associate professor Sharyn Graham Davies, who was previously at AUT and is now at Monash University in Australia.
