Government extends funding for Growing Up in New Zealand

The Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) study, a comprehensive longitudinal research project that has tracked the lives of more than 6,000 young New Zealanders since 2009, has secured further government funding to continue its work.

The funding, to February 2028, was officially announced on 19 September by the Minister for Social Development, the Honourable Louise Upston. It will ensure that the GUiNZ study can continue to capture the developmental, social and educational transitions occurring during the participants’ adolescence.

The next phase of the study is critical for understanding how early life experiences lay the foundation for positive outcomes in young people, and for guiding decisions about where and when programmes and supports can make the biggest impact in the long run.

The University of Auckland-based research team welcomed the funding, which will allow researchers to undertake two new waves of data collection. These will provide critical insights into the lives of adolescents in Aotearoa New Zealand.

“This funding is not just about the future of our 15-year research programme; it’s an investment in the future of Aotearoa and will cement the vision for New Zealand to be the best place in the world to be a child,” said Associate Professor Sarah-Jane Paine, GUiNZ research director.

“We are thrilled with this announcement from the Minister, which comes at a critical juncture in the lifetime of the study.

“It will enable our team to continue strengthening our connection with the families who sit at the heart of the study, and to ensure their data is used to create evidence-backed policy to support children and young people to flourish.”

The government says the new funding underscores its commitment to social investment and supporting youth mental health and well-being.

Minister Upston acknowledged the importance of the research that’s occurred to this point.

“The value of GUiNZ is in its unique ability to measure well-being over time. This next stage of investment will provide information about the participants as they transition through puberty, adolescence, school, and into adulthood and work.

“Combined, there is a unique and timely opportunity for GUiNZ to provide vital evidence as to how the pandemic and other factors have impacted and continue to impact a diverse range of young people and their life paths. These insights can be used to inform the government’s recovery strategy and help reduce inequities and improve outcomes for future generations.”

The University of Auckland says the next two data collections will occur when the young people involved in the GUiNZ study are aged around 15 years and then at around 17 years.