Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says a new families package will help alleviate record demand for charitable services like KidsCan, and that she is implementing a watchdog to make sure child poverty drops.
Ms Ardern, speaking this morning to TVNZ 1's Breakfast programme, said she is not surprised that KidsCan now provides food, clothing and health items to 30,000 children per week - a number which has doubled in the past six years.
A record 700 low-decile schools are currently receiving support from the charity, which provides basic items to kids whose families cannot afford them.
"I know that the need has grown and that [KidsCan] are doing an amazing job to address that," Ms Ardern said.
"Our challenge is to make sure that we're doing our job as government - to make sure that families are well supported across the board in New Zealand to do the job that they do best - which is looking after and raising their kids."
Ms Ardern said the two biggest factors pushing child poverty up are low incomes and the high cost of housing.
"We've said that we want to introduce a families package - so cancel the tax cuts which would deliver money to the top 10 per cent - it's just unnecessary at this time," she said.
"Wider work" is also being done in the area of housing affordability, she said.
"We want to make sure we legislate as soon as possible to get those changes in place."
The charity estimates it's providing meals for 30,000 children a week. (Source: Other)
In addition, Ms Ardern said she is setting up a unit within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to "keep an eye on the work we're doing across housing, health and education to make sure we do everything we can to reduce ... child poverty as a whole".
KidsCan CEO Julie Chapman told Breakfast she is hopeful Ms Ardern will effect change.
"I'm 100 per cent behind the new ministry," Ms Chapman said, "I think we are going to see some really positive change there".
"Where we can help the new Prime Minister is to continue to meet those material needs ... while those policies are being implemented.
"We've always made the commitment that we'll be there as long as were needed ... but ultimately it would be great to see a reduction in the need, for sure."
Ms Chapman said many schools have embraced the support offered by charities like KidsCan, with a willingness to care for children.
"I think schools are more willing to get in and give that sort of pastoral care to children," she said.
Some people are quick to criticise the budgeting and decision-making of parents, Ms Chapman said, but the underlying need for a charity like KidsCan comes from parents "simply not having enough to make ends meet".
"Clothing, shoes and health ... there's always a need for those," Ms Chapman said.
"There are more children that we need to get this support to."
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