He Whānau Manaaki o Tararua Kindergarten Association’s interest in the Mental Health and Addiction Inquiry
Whānau Manaaki Kindergartens operates 85 kindergartens in the lower North Island and three home based networks in Porirua as well as a Whānau Ora project catering for 260 families.
Through our work in our kindergartens, and our home-based and whānau ora services we see many problems associated with both mental health and addiction issues, and the effects on young children and their families.
Many of our families are affected by issues associated with methamphetamine or “P” and the highly addictive and much cheaper, synthetic cannabis. Poverty and overcrowding mean extended family members with addiction issues are often moving in with families exposing more young children to the unpredictable and violent behavour associated with these addictions.
There is no psychological support for children under five who have been exposed to this frightening behavour, and who have often developed psychological problems including anxiety, and who manifest extreme behavioural issues including unprovoked anger and violence. Children can also suffer from neglect, including emotional neglect. Where children have been uplifted, they have suffered further trauma from displacement, and the family members, often elderly, who have taken on the caregiver responsibility are getting no support for dealing with these challenging behavioural and psychological issues.
Other children have health and cognitive issues arising from exposure to drugs in utero, and in early childhood.
Family members seeking to break free from drugs cannot access services.
In some cases where family services are available they start at age five, meaning children under five are excluded from the support, even though their needs may be both the greatest, and the most responsive, to treatment and support.
As well as family support services to cope with the effects of drugs, there needs to be a community empowerment model involving both police and community leaders and ordinary families to rid communities of drugs. In one short street in Porirua recently there were four houses selling drugs. Our staff have routinely witnessed drug induced seizures, fights, and gun activity in public places as a result of drugs. In one community in which we operate there have been six deaths recently as a result of drug use. The trauma associated with these deaths, mainly involving young people, also creates ripples throughout the community, with family and associates at greater risk of mental health issues. Police drug raids are also frightening for children, whose needs are overlooked in these operations. It is difficult even for non-drug using households to raise children successfully in this kind of environment. Teachers in schools and kindergartens do not have the time or the skills to help children process the traumas they have been exposed to.
In addition we see many unmet needs for child mental health services, which are not available, for children suffering trauma for other reasons. Some of this trauma plays out at kindergarten, as children struggle to make sense of the things they have witnessed, including violence and sexual violence. Again, families struggle to cope with this behaviour and are asking for help which is simply not available. Refugee children face additional mental health issues because of language barriers.
We recommend:
- Free psychological services and mental health services for children under five, including access to play therapy
- Free social work services and respite services and parenting support services for family members raising children from troubled backgrounds
- Free addiction services to meet demand
- Community led solutions towards drug free neighbourhoods involving police, health, justice, Oranga Tamariki and other government and community agencies
We are keen to meet with the panel to discuss the issues we see in the communities we work in. Please allocate a slot for us on May 17 when the panel is in Porirua.
Thank you
Ngā mihi nui
Chief Executive Office