Children
Parents face months-long waits for childcare as centres close up
Mounting pressures on the early childhood sector is leaving some parents on months-long waitlists for a spot. Audio
Community groups want funding to help whānau in emergency housing
More than 500 children live in emergency housing in Hamilton city.
The effect of unstable housing on their education can be profound.
And community groups who support whānau want more consistent… Audio
Auckland Girls' Grammar gym sliding down bank
The principal of a central Auckland school is worried that plans to fix the gym, which is sliding down a bank, are dead in the water as the government moves to review school property projects.
The… Audio
Secondary Principals Council chair on school stand-down numbers
The number of students being stood down from school is at the highest its ever been according to Ministry of Education figures.
School stand-downs are the formal removal of students for up to five… Audio
Principal 'deeply disappointed' over plans to cut free school lunches programme
A Porirua Principal is deeply disappointed the government is looking to axe funding for free lunches in schools by up to 50 percent.
The $323 million programme is under review with ACT leader and… Audio
School stand-downs at record levels
School stand-downs have spiked to record levels after dropping away during the height of the pandemic.
Schools used the formal punishment more than 25,000 times in 2022, or nearly 3.3 times for every… Audio
Too much screen time killing vital conversation for kids
A new study from Australia out today has found that for every minute of screen time that toddlers are exposed to at home, they're missing vital language opportunities. It suggests the average… Audio
Episode 4
Play 'What's that Sound?' with Suzy (the competition with no prize); young Devan reads Room 5's 'Alliteration Poem,' and nine-year-old Sonatane talks about the book Lion Guards the Cake. Audio
Episode 3
The space adventure Chad Awesomesauce continues; five-year-old Olivia talks about Butterfly Creek; and Suzy has some amazing Fun Facts about tohorā - whales. Audio
Florida passes bill banning social media for children under 16
The bill, passed in the state's Republican-controlled House of Representatives, forces social media platforms to terminate their accounts and use third-party verification to screen under-age users.
Sue Egersdorff: the benefits of intergenerational care
The Belong Care Village in Chester has a fully integrated on-site nursery. Audio
New approach needed to reduce child poverty: Minister Louise Upston
Child advocates have criticised the government saying it doesn't have any specific strategy to fight child poverty.
They say changes to benefit indexing and tax cut policies won't help families that… Audio
Latest data shows more children lacking basic needs
Advocates for children living in poverty are concerned the Government is not doing enough to support young people struggling to eat, let alone go to school.
The latest data from StatsNZ shows 23,000… Audio
The Panel with Peter Field and Ruth Money (Part 2)
Today on The Panel, Wallace and panellists Peter Field and Ruth Money discuss the latest child poverty statistics, a unique copyright court ruling and public benches. Audio
Latest stats show more children living in poverty
The latest child poverty statistics from Stats NZ show over 23,000 more children are going without household essentials since 2022 due to the rise in the cost of living.
Seventeen-point-five percent… Audio
More children going without vegetables, doctor's visits, shoes, new data shows
Two of the three primary measures of child poverty have increased, the latest statistics show.
Scathing report another reason to disestablish Oranaga Tamariki says chair of Whanau Ora Commissioning Agency
A scathing Chief Ombudsman's report into Oranga Tamariki is another reason to disestablish the government agency.
That's the blunt assessment of Merepeka Raukawa-Tait, chair of the Whānau Ora… Audio
Vape-Free Kids calling for prioritsation of kids' health
Locals in Hastings will gather on Saturday to call on the central government to step up and prioritise childrens' health over Big Tobacco profits. A range of speakers will share their experiences and… Audio
Ombudsman urges sweeping changes at Oranga Tamariki
The chief ombudsman is calling for changes at Oranga Tamariki to be made on a scale rarely required of a government agency. Audio
Ombudsman says Oranga Tamariki failing at almost every level
The Chief Ombudsman is calling for a complete overhaul of Oranga Tamariki, saying it is failing on almost every level. Judge Peter Boshier has found the agency is still regularly failing to follow its… Audio