Social workers will be provided at schools in Oamaru and Waimate, as part of the expansion of a government programme to meet the needs of ''at risk'' children.
Social Development Minister Paula Bennett this week announced 80 schools across New Zealand would be included in stage two of the Social Workers in Schools programme, in time for the start of the 2013 school year.
Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean welcomed the news that Pembroke School, in Oamaru, would be included in the scheme, along with the Waimate schools St Patrick's, Waimate Centennial and Waimate Main. Mrs Dean said that by the end of 2013, the three-stage programme would provide all 673 decile 1-3 schools and about 131,000 children in New Zealand access to professional social work services to meet the needs of children at risk of poor social, educational and health outcomes.
The Pembroke School principal, Brent Godfery, said he was ''looking forward'' to appointing a social worker to liaise with the parents and children at the 200-pupil years 1 to 6 school, but said it was important for people to know the programme was not related to Child, Youth and Family (CYF) and was not poverty-related.
''It is totally to do with regular families and supporting families ... '' Mr Godfery said.
''The benefit to the school is having someone who can help families in need; families with any issues and children with grief and that sort of thing.''
The new social worker in each school would become an ''advocate'' for families who did not have the confidence to deal with ''the powers that be'', Mr Godfery said.
