Welcome to VOYCE Adult
VOYCE – Whakarongo Mai stands for Voices of the Young and Care Experienced – Listen to Me. We were created with care experienced young people, for care experienced young people. VOYCE works with care experienced pēpi (babies), tamariki (children) and rangatahi (young people).
Care experienced means someone who is in care, or who has previously been in care.
Being care experienced can look different for everyone, but some common types of care are:
Whānau care is where a child is being raised by someone in their whānau or extended family. Often it means a child living with their grandparents – but could also be another family member like an aunt, uncle or older sibling. Whāngai is the traditional Māori practice of whānau care.
Foster Care is where children and young people who can’t live with their families are looked after by caregivers they’re not related to. Foster Care can be short-term or long-term, and usually involves Oranga Tamariki or a community Foster Care provider.
Group Homes and Residences have staff who should be trained to work with groups of young people whose needs are best looked after in a residential setting. These placements are usually temporary and should give young people more structure and supervision than they might get in other types of care.
The youth justice system in Aotearoa is set up to deal with children aged 10-13 and young people aged 14-18 who have done something illegal. Being in the custody of the Police, Oranga Tamariki or Corrections as a young person is a form of care, whether it’s in police cells, a community remand home, a Youth Justice secure residence, or an adult prison.
Permanent Care is when foster or whānau caregivers apply for Guardianship Orders under the Care of Children Act 2004. This is sometimes called ‘Home for Life’ or ‘Permanency’, and means caregivers are committing to taking care of a child permanently
There are a few ways young people leave care. Sometimes a young person is supported to return home after spending time in care. Sometimes a young person leaves care to live independently before they are an adult. Sometimes a young person “ages out” of being in care when they turn 18 years.
The team at VOYCE meets with young people who are in care, and listens to them. If your young person is in care, we can help to make sure the adults in their life are listening to them. We help young people get the information they need, and make sure they understand what’s happening in their life. VOYCE helps them have their say and understand their care journey. VOYCE also runs connection events (we call them Tūhono), where care experienced young people can spend time together.
What’s a Kaiwhakamana?
A Kaiwhakamana is an advocate – someone who’s got your young person’s back. We help them have a say and make sense of what’s going on. We make sure the adults listen to them and understand how they feel.
We can help them to have their voice heard on lots of things, like spending time with their siblings, getting pocket money, contacting their social worker, going to hui, figuring things out when they leave care and more!
If your young person wants to spend time with their kaiwhakamana, they get to decide where they hang out and what they talk about. They’re the boss!
We have heaps of fun projects and cool events happening all the time. You don’t have to wait until there’s a problem to get involved.
Get in touch or reach out to your Kaiwhakamana!
