Social Work Review 10(2) 1998 : 20-23

This article presents Professor Barry Trute's address to staff and students at the Department of Social Work, University of Canterbury. Trute compares the welfare policies and programmes of New Zealand and Canada, and suggests that these two countries share similar concerns in the child welfare arena. The article explores how the principles of Family Group Conferences have been adopted for use in child protection cases by First Nations peoples in Canada in the form of 'Healing Circles'. Child welfare approaches in Canada are discussed, and Trute argues that mandatory reporting in situations of child abuse should be introduced in New Zealand. Additionally, initiatives aimed at reducing partner violence appear to be effective in Canada, and therefore, similar approaches may be useful in New Zealand. The article examines the increasing instances of violence shown on television and how this affects children. The impact of government policies on the incidence of family violence is also highlighted. Trute posits that due to the similarities between New Zealand and Canada, both countries could benefit from sharing social work and welfare knowledge.