Extract from the Executive summary:

I Am Auckland, Auckland Council's strategic action plan for children and young people has been reviewed to evaluate the past three years of implementation and assess if the strategy is still fit-for-purpose to respond to current and future challenges and opportunities.

The review has used a range of qualitative and quantitative methods. These include desktop research, engagement, evaluation, and stocktake.

The applied methodology has resulted in comprehensive findings about the relevance and effectiveness of I Am Auckland, the broader opportunities and challenges for children and young people, and the role council could play now and in the future. A focus on hearing directly from tamariki and rangatahi was critical to this review, and the insights in the report demonstrate the value of this.

I Am Auckland was first published in 2013, and since then the context has changed significantly. This includes not only the adoption of national strategies focussed on improving child and youth wellbeing, but also relevant strategy developments within council such as the publication of the Nga Hapori Momoho /Thriving Communities strategy. The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic have been significant; creating considerable strain on resources, challenging the way support could be delivered, and ultimately affecting child and youth wellbeing.

We found that while most children and young people are safe, happy, and healthy, some are being left behind. Tamariki and rangatahi Maori, Pacific children and young people, rainbow children and young people, and disabled children are more likely to experience inequity across a range of measures than their peers.

The review has identified deteriorating mental health, high rates of child poverty, and access to safe, warm, and dry housing as particular issues facing tamariki and rangatahi. There are also concerns related to accessible public transport, safety, and discrimination.

Emerging trends, such as climate change and the changing nature of work and education risk adding to the inequities experienced by some groups of children and young people.

The review found that although there is good practice occurring across council, I Am Auckland has not been effectively implemented or considered across the council whanau. The strategy is not informing programming and investment decisions and does not provide evidenced-based principles to guide the type of support council offers, which many staff would find helpful.

A headline finding of the review is that council could do more to focus on those experiencing the greatest persistent disadvantage, as well as empower children and young people to influence the decisions that affect their lives.

The methodologies revealed insights into what is and isn't working well for tamariki and rangatahi, the experience of many children and young people, the effectiveness of I Am Auckland, and considerations for council's future strategic direction. A summary is presented below. Further detail is provided in Parts One to Three of this report. …

Auckland Council, October 2023

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See also

Voices of children and young people from Tāmaki Makaurau

Auckland Council website, I Am Auckland.