Our goal
That Christchurch will be known as the city that is good for children, young people and their families.
How the Children's Strategy started
In 1995, then Christchurch Mayor Vicki Buck expressed her concern for children in the city. Increasing numbers of children appeared to be falling through the gaps caused by social issues, such as poor housing in poor neighbourhoods, low incomes, criminality, dysfunctional family relationships, long term unemployment, poor parenting, and the impact of governmental policies.
The safety net, which the community expected to provide, appeared full of gaping holes and the smallest, most vulnerable members of our community were falling through first. The situation in Christchurch was further complicated by the fact that elected leaders had no reliable, up-to-date information on how well children were doing.
In 1995 Vicki Buck initiated the Children's Strategy Research, a large scale consultation, involving almost 900 primary aged children (9-12 years), 100 parents and 100 service providers to find out how children (0-12 years) felt about their city. They were asked about:
- the city's physical design and layout
- leisure and recreation
- safety and welfare
- their environment and their future.
The results - based on the children's experiences, rather than the perceptions of adults - were recorded according to ward and metropolitan areas. You can view the Children's Strategy Research Report [PDF 1.21MB].
Key changes took place following the publication of the report. In 1996 a Children's Advocate was appointed to ensure the report's recommendations were implemented.
In 1998 the Council adopted a Children's Policy [PDF 118KB]. This is part of the Council's commitment to the idea that a city, which cares for values and nurtures its children, will be good for all citizens.
