"To qualify for funding under this initiative, organisations that provide social services will need to be working with one (or more) of the following groups: children whose parent(s) are currently or have recently been in prison, children of parent(s) who experienced the care system, and children that were stood down or suspended from school when they were 12 or younger.
"We know children who have had these experiences are more likely to experience poor outcomes and require significant social support throughout their lives. We want to work alongside organisations in the community to support these whānau and families to ensure the best outcomes for tamariki.
"The Social Investment Fund is designed to work differently to ensure government, the social sector and other partners can work smarter to make a positive difference in the lives of New Zealanders. We’ve heard from the sector that they want to work differently with government, and we’re committed to doing that through the Fund.
"This funding opportunity is the first of four potential pathways providers can access through the Social Investment Fund, all aimed at unlocking opportunities to deliver better services, change the way government works with these partners and use data to improve the impact of government investment in social services," Mr Coster said.
The Fund will open for applications on 25 August 2025.
Information on the Social Investment Fund is on the Social Investment Agency’s website.
