Jan Tinetti Labour MP

A huge thank you to everyone who joined the #KnitforJacinda campaign. Here in the office it has been such a joy receiving beautiful knitwear and other gifts for the needy babies of Tauranga and on June 1 I will be gifting these items to the local Salvation Army to distribute in time for winter.

Children and their families are very important to this government and prior to the Budget it announced measures that will benefit them enormously.

A major funding increase will enable thousands more children access to extra learning support they need before they start school. A lack of funding has meant many children have missed out on behaviour, learning, and speech and language support. As a former principal and teacher I have seen the difficulties this creates.

As Jacinda says, high quality early childhood education gives children a head-start on their learning and this government believes all children, regardless of their ability or disability, their culture or their family background, have the right to an education that sets them up for life.

Children living in fear in domestic violence situations will also be helped as social services dealing most directly with family violence, such as Tauranga Women's Refuge and our local Shakti, will get much-needed support as the government boosts funding to frontline agencies for the first time in 10 years. It is no secret how hard these agencies have had to work to keep providing their services over the past few years.

From July 1 most families with children will receive, on average, an extra $75 a week through Working for Families and our Best Start Package, and some of our most vulnerable families, as well as our older residents, will be entitled to the Winter Energy Payment.

We want to make New Zealand a great place to be a child.