We currently have the lowest basic care standards applying to services for tamariki and rangatahi with the highest needs, and this is not good enough.

While we acknowledge and appreciate Oranga Tamariki’s commitment to transparency and their willingness to address these allegations, we question the effectiveness of repeatedly reviewing a system that has consistently failed our tamariki. The Royal Inquiry into Abuse in State Care has unequivocally demonstrated that abuse within the system is not limited to the past; it persists today. It is imperative that Oranga Tamariki take action to ensure the safety and well-being of tamariki and rangatahi in care.

VOYCE – Whakarongo Mai has consistently sought to collaborate with youth residences, but this is inhibited by the current practice of requiring our independent advocates, and the Independent Children’s Monitor, to notify Oranga Tamariki before visits. This lack of true independence increases the risk of concealed abuse and allows poor practices and serious assaults to go unmonitored.

We hope that this event will serve as a catalyst for change, but it is unacceptable for reform to occur at the expense of the young people involved. Preventative measures are necessary and urgent.

Yes, review the system. But in doing so, fundamentally change practices and standards by listening to the voices of the care experienced community and building a system that adequately meets their needs.

Every rangatahi and tamariki in Aotearoa has the right to live with love and mana. The state takes on this parental responsibility when children are placed in their care. Today, we acknowledge the state has failed, and we urge the state to take immediate action.