Mother fears Disability Support Services Bill will lead to desperate caregivers harming children (opens original article in a new tab)

A mother of a child with complex disabilities warns that changes to support services could increase caregiver burnout and risk of self-harm or harm to children, as the Disability Support Services Bill faces criticism for insufficient consultation and potential negative impacts on families.

• Mother fears Disability Support Services Bill will cut support for families, increasing burnout and risk of caregivers harming themselves or children
• Bill shifts responsibility for care from government to families and aims to set up formal disability funding framework through Ministry of Social Development
• Disability advocate reports 90% of caregivers have discussed suicide, with 23 cases of murder or murder-suicide involving disability carers since 1997
• Eight national disability organisations call for halt to bill due to lack of consultation and time for submissions