The Best of Care? review explores the policy, legislation and operational practice related to children and young people with disabilities and their families who are involved with Child, Youth and Family and the Ministry of Health’s Disability Services Directorate.

The review makes a number of recommendations and other suggested actions for Child, Youth and Family and the Disability Services Directorate to consider, including proposals to amend the Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act 1989 (the Act). These recommendations and suggested actions have been considered and grouped into similar areas of work:

• The first is to support and sign off a new service operation Memorandum of Understanding.
• The second is to engage families earlier and provide better access to services.

Today Child, Youth and Family and the Disability Services Directorate have a strong relationship and significant progress has been made already towards addressing particular recommendations outlined in the review. Although this is not an exhaustive list, it includes:

• Information technology developments in Child, Youth and Family and the Disability Services Directorate to provide for better data collection and data management in both agencies (recommendation 29).
• Work is under way to better transition young people from Child, Youth and Family care to adult health and disability services (recommendation 18).
• The development of a national process to assist in resolving difficult issues for complex cases unable to be resolved at a local level (part of recommendation 28).
• A Disability Services Directorate specialist for children and young people with disabilities has been identified (recommendation 19).
• Discussions have commenced with Ministry of Education to discuss funding for transport to and from school and respite facilities (recommendation 16).
• The Best of Care report also resulted in some specific recommendations to amend the Act. Recommendations 1.2 and 2–12 will be considered as part of the review of the Act.

Child, Youth and Family and Disability Services Directorate would like to thank those that participated in the review of issues at the interface of disability support and care and protection. There is an absolute commitment from both agencies to work through the issues in the report and your input to the review was much appreciated.