"Significant new resources will assist in building the capacity of Maori social services organisations.

"A total of $3.5 million worth of Iwi and Maori provider workforce development money will help Maori social service providers access training, infrastructure and set-up funding. There will be an innovations fund to help provide new services designed by Maori for Maori, as well as new cash to help develop Pacific Islands social services.

"Child, Youth and Family will also administer the new $1 million Maori youth contestable fund for Maori initiatives specifically aimed at reducing Maori youth offending. The fund will increase to $3 million in following years.

"This initiative, coupled with confirmation of $9.9 million in Year One increasing to $10.5 million a year thereafter, for expansion of the Department's previously announced Youth Services Strategy, is designed specifically to tackle youth crime and get young offenders back on track," said Mr Maharey.

The $2.7 million in extra funding for Family Group Conferences will assist at risk children to get the services and support they need. This funding will increase to $4.3 million in following years.

Mr Maharey said an improved performance by Child, Youth and Family was also a factor in securing the $27.2 million of contingent or time-limited funding now being included in the Department's baseline.

Other services this money will provide, besides paying for extra social workers, are:

• a national call centre to streamline the processing of notifications, and
• the expansion of the Youth Services Strategy programmes aimed at repeat youth offenders.

"I now look forward to receiving later this year the reviews of the Department's child referral, notification and placement procedures being carried out by former judge Mick Brown to see if there are further areas that can be improved upon," said Mr Maharey.