Finance Minister Nicola Willis has today launched the Social Investment Fund – a $190 million pot of money to be managed by the newly reinstated Social Investment Agency.

Willis announced plans to bring back the Social Investment Agency last year with her as the minister responsible and former police commissioner Andrew Coster as chief executive.

At the time, the fund was announced but not its size.

The $190m fund announced today would be part of a wider allocation of funding over four years for the agency – $275m – to be included in Budget 2025.

This includes:

- $20m for initiatives that strengthen parenting in the first 2000 days of a child’s life, reducing harm and setting children up for better long-term outcomes

- $25 million for initiatives to help prevent children and vulnerable adults from entering state care, as part of the Crown’s response to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care.

Willis said the fund was expected to invest in at least 20 initiatives over the next year.

“It will invest in services that deliver measurable improvements in the lives of those who need our help, guided by data and evidence. It will support both new approaches and strengthen existing services that work.

“Each investment will have robust evaluation built in from the start, so Government can track the Fund’s impact and invest taxpayer money with confidence.”

Willis announced the first three initiatives the fund would invest in:

• The first is an Autism NZ initiative to each year help 50 families of young children who are autistic or showing signs of autism by intervening early so that families, teachers, and other professionals, are better able to help these young people to thrive at school.
• The second extends to another 80 families an evidence-based Emerge Aotearoa programme that has been proven to reduce youth offending and truancy.
• The third is He Piringa Whare, an expanded programme delivered by Te Tihi o Ruahine, an alliance of nine hapū, iwi, Māori organisations, partners and providers with a track record of using data and evidence to shape its services.

In a speech on Tuesday, Willis said successive governments had spent “huge sums” trying to tackle “entrenched disadvantage”, but “despite the best intentions of all involved, this expenditure cannot be described as a success”.

“There are some fantastic examples of lives being turned around, but the overall picture is grim. Too many Kiwis are trapped in cycles of inter-generational disadvantage. We are spending more on ambulances at the bottom of the cliff than fences at the top.

“Data now give us a very good ideal of those at greatest risk. We also know that intervening early increases the prospect of success. There are some incredible community and iwi organisations who know what to do, but too often they’re held back by the frustrations of government bureaucracy and short-termism.

“We can do much much better here. Shifting a young New Zealander off a life of welfare dependency and, potentially criminal offending, greatly reduces future costs for everyone else. But even more importantly it gives that New Zealander a chance to lead a fulfilling, productive life. We want that for all our kids.

“Later this week I’ll announce an initiative in this year’s Budget that is designed to do just that.”

Nicola Willis is expected to make an announcement in the social investment space. NZME photograph by Mark Mitchell 

The Social Investment Agency replaced the previous Social Wellbeing Agency last year, and is intended to lead the implementation of the social investment approach.

That involves using data from across government departments to intervene early in people’s lives to break cycles of poverty and disadvantage.

A Social Investment Fund was last year established to commission services for vulnerable New Zealanders and is expected to begin investing this year.

The agency is led by former Police Commissioner Andrew Coster.