Budget: Increased funding to provide a much needed boost for Pasifika families

Pasifika Futures will receive $55 million over the next four years to support families around the country.

Whanau Ora, the Commissioning Agency which helps Pacific families through health and social service organisations, received a boost to its baseline as part of the 2022 budget.

Pasifika Futures chief executive Debbie Sorensen said the funding acknowledges the work done by the organisation and its providers to help families during the pandemic.

"We are extremely pleased to have a secured additional funding over the next four years into our baseline and that will help many more families access the support and design solutions to the challenges that they face."

She said this year's $196 million is the single largest allocation from public money for Pacific communities in New Zealand.

Sorenson however said the budget failed to address concerns for hundreds of Pacific students who haven't returned to school since the first Covid-19 lockdown in March 2020.

She said some children may have missed up to three years of schooling.

"We have three years of kids who have not completed their secondary schooling and who are now unemployed and have left school. And so you know their future is looking pretty bleak."

Sorensen said 45 percent of New Zealand's Pasifika population accessed Whanau Ora support this year.

Rising cost of living hitting Pasifika families hard

Rising cost of living due to inflation is impacting some Pasifika families in New Zealand with many turning to social services for food parcels.

Auckland based Pacific health and social service provider, The Fono has been pivotal during the pandemic to help prop up thousands of Pasifika from different communities.

Chief executive Dr Tevita Funaki said he expected more low income households to ask for support despite the budget announcement.

He said as New Zealand heads into winner, many families will be feeling the cold in more than one way.