Redress System for Abuse in Care Bill – Info Sheet
Submission close 11.59pm Wednesday 26th November 2025 You can the full Redress System for Abuse in Care HERE What is this Bill saying? This Bill introduces a presumption against financial redress for serious violent or sexual offenders. What does this mean? The Bill proposes measures that will make it harder for Survivors of abuse in […]
Social Worker Day…..
For this years Aotearoa New Zealand Social Worker’s Day, we wanted to reflect on what good practice looks like, and how that can positively impact the life of tamariki and rangatahi in care. We talked to Amelia, one of our care experienced kaimahi (Kairahi for Te Waipounamu) about her experience as a social worker, and […]
Father’s Day Reflections
I’ve noticed that nearly every care-experienced young person I talk to carries some kind of hesitation or raruraru around days like Father’s Day. For some, it’s a reminder of what’s missing. For others, it’s wrapped in grief or anger. For those stepping into their own journey of parenthood, it can bring feelings of fear, love, […]
Te Waipounamu Regional Youth Council (RYC)
Recently our socials have been filled with recruitment for our Te Waipounamu RYC, and we know that sometimes young people can be a little hesitant to put themselves forward, or might think that they wouldn’t be the right person/good enough. We spoke to Gray about what they got out of being a part of the […]
No Aotearoa au – I am an indigenous person of Aotearoa.
August 9th 2025 is International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, which was created in 1995 by the UN (United Nations) to raise awareness and protect the rights of indigenous people globally. The date chosen also commemorates the first meeting of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations in 1982. VOYCE’s Pou Whirinaki team have […]
Why are pronouns important for kids in care?
For young people in care, feeling seen, respected, and safe is essential – but not always guaranteed. This is often an even harder or unlikely guarantee for young people in care who also identify as part of the rainbow (LGBTTQIA+) community. One of the simplest yet most powerful ways adults in their lives can offer […]
Call for Workshop Proposals 🌟
Kōkiri – The Future Speaks A National Conference on Transforming the Care Experience in Aotearoa 16–18 March 2026 | Oceania Room, Te Papa, Wellington VOYCE – Whakarongo Mai is proud to host our first national conference, Kōkiri – The Future Speaks — a gathering dedicated to transforming the care experience in Aotearoa. This event centres care-experienced rangatira […]
Our Experiences: Coming out in care
For anyone, coming out can be hard and even unsafe, and for care experienced taiohi it’s no different. When you are raised in care, there is no expectation of unconditional love. In fact, for a lot of us, the love we receive in care is particularly conditional. This can make coming out really complicated. I […]
Takatāpui: A whānau perspective
The term ‘takatāpui’ originally referred to a close companion of the same sex, but since the 1980s has been reclaimed as an inclusive term used by gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual, whakawāhine, fa’afafine, asexual, queer, questioning and intersex Māori. It is a term that encompasses Māori spirituality and culture as well as sexuality. The following acknowledges […]
Matariki mā Puanga: Honouring the Māori New Year
He Kupu Whakataki | Introduction Matariki mā Puanga marks the Māori New Year, observed during the winter months of Pipiri (June) and Hōngongoi (July). It is a time of reflection, renewal, and reconnection — guided by the rising of two important stars: Matariki (Pleiades) and Puanga (Rigel). Different iwi across Aotearoa look to either Matariki […]