The second annual report from Aroturuki Tamariki | Independent Children’s Monitor (ICM) found outcomes for tamariki and rangatahi Māori known to Oranga Tamariki were worse than Māori not in the system, and worse than non-Māori who are in the system across most measures.
The report looked across school attendance, health, employment, holding a driver’s licence and using emergency housing.
An example from the report was that Māori who have never been involved with Oranga Tamariki held a driver’s licence at about the same rate as non-Māori, while those inside the system did not.
It also found that Māori kids were more likely to be in care longer compared to non-Māori kids and were less likely to be visited regularly by their social worker.
This year’s report also highlighted tamariki and rangatahi Māori continued overrepresentation in the Oranga Tamariki system, linked to ongoing unmet care and protection needs.
Although Māori youth make up around 27 per cent of the population, it was found that:
- 57 per cent of reports of concern were for tamariki and rangatahi Māori.
- 68 per cent of those in care are Māori.
- 59 per cent of police proceedings against those aged 10–18 were Māori.
- 80 per cent of those in youth justice custody are Māori.
Most tamariki and rangatahi Māori with a recent report of concern had prior reports, including one quarter with 10 or more, with critical cases receiving slower responses from Oranga Tamariki, according to the report.
Aroturuki Tamariki Chief Executive Arran Jones said if the system had worked as intended, the right support could have been provided at the earliest opportunity.
“There would be a reduction in renotifications, and tamariki Māori would not unnecessarily escalate through the care and youth justice system because of unmet need,” he wrote in a statement.
He pointed out some key consequences of unmet care and protection needs from data collected by rangatahi Māori in the youth Justice system.
It found 95 per cent of Māori in youth justice had a childhood report of concern, with half having more than 10, and more than half never having a care and protection family group conference to help address the safety or wellbeing concerns.
‘Cannot be resolved by a single government agency, or government alone’
Children’s Minister Karen Chhour said she was working with all her Ministerial colleagues for collaboration and to have an “All of Government” response to the ICM’s findings.
“Many of the underlying causes of negative experiences of care cannot be resolved by a single government agency, or government alone. They require coordinated, sustained action across government and communities to turn around generational issues.
“I do not believe we as government can or should ever just walk away from our obligations to keep children safe, to leave it entirely to community, but we must help community to come up with their own solutions. We can, and we must work with them.
“We are doing that, now faster than at any time in our nation’s history, and I am confident that we will see the benefits of this approach in future reports.
“Our children deserve nothing less than a system that protects and values them, that is our goal as a Government, and we’re moving in the right direction,” she said.
Chhour mentioned the recent $90.5 million investment towards Oranga Tamariki to manage the high volume of reports of concern in the recent Budget.
An area where both Chhour and Jones spotlighted was the iwi, Māori, and community-led solutions.
“Our report profiles iwi-led initiatives that are showing success. These local partnerships with Oranga Tamariki show the way forward. However, faster change is needed if we are to see a reduction in disparities and in intergenerational involvement in the oranga tamariki system for tamariki and rangatahi Māori and their whānau,” Jones said.
