Oranga Tamariki, also known as the Ministry for Children and previously the Ministry for Vulnerable Children, is a government department in New Zealand responsible for the well-being of children, specifically children at risk of harm, youth offenders and children of the State. It is the successor agency of the former department, Child, Youth and Family.
Functions and structure
The minister responsible for Oranga Tamariki is the Minister for Children, a position currently held by Tracey Martin. On 31 October 2017, it was announced that the Ministry would be renamed the Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children. Oranga Tamariki is guided by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The organisation is headed by a Chief Executive and consists of three major clusters: "Service Delivery", "Voices and Quality", and "Enabling Functions." Services Delivery consists of a "Partnering for Outcomes" group, two "Services for Children and Families" groups, a "Youth Justice Services" group, and a "Care Services" group. The "Voices and Quality" cluster consists of a Tamariki Advocate/Voices of Children group and a Chief Social Worker/Professional Practice group. The "Enabling Functions" cluster consists of the "Policy, Investment and Evidence" group and a "Leadership and Organisational Development group." Each of these groups is headed by a Deputy Chief Executive.
History
Oranga Tamariki is the successor organization to the former Child, Youth and Family department, which was dissolved down by the Fifth National Government in March 2017. Oranga Tamariki, initially known as the Ministry for Vulnerable Children, formally came into existence in November 2017. Following the formation of a Labour-led coalition government in October 2017, the Ministry for Vulnerable Children was renamed the Ministry for Children. From May 2018 to June 2019, there were 39 reported physical assaults against the organization's social workers. In November 2019, Oranga Tamariki investigated sex acts at a Catholicprimary school in Wellington.
2019 "Uplifting" controversy
On 11 June 2019, the news website Newsroom published a series of stories including a documentary called The Uplift criticizing Oranga Tamariki's practice of "uplifting" or separating children from their parents. Newsroom argued that Oranga Tamariki's "uplifting" policies disproportionately targeted Māori and Pasifika children, claiming that three Māori babies were being "uplifted" from their mothers a week. According to Newsroom's report, 70% of children "uplifted" in 2018 came from Māori and Pasifika backgrounds. This attracted considerable media coverage and public discussion. Former Māori Party leader Dame Tariana Turia demanded the resignation of Oranga Tamariki chief executive Grainne Moss. By contrast, former Families Commissioner Christine Rankin defended Oranga Tamariki's actions and criticized Newsroom for allegedly spinning it into a "race issue." Meanwhile, Christian advocacy group Family First New Zealand called for the Government to establish a fully independent watchdog for Oranga Tamariki. On 12 June 2019, Oranga Tamariki pursued legal action against Newsroom, seeking orders for cuts to Newsroom's The Uplift story which it disputed. The agency also defended its practice of "uplifting" children, arguing that these actions were done to ensure the safety of children. On 13 June, the Family Court declined Oranga Tamariki's bid to force Newsroom and news website Stuff.co.nz to change details to The Uplift story. In response to public interest, the Children's Minister Tracey Martin announced that she would meet with local iwiNgāti Kahungunu and the Māori Council to defuse the situation. On 16 June, Martin announced that the Government would be conducting a review into Oranga Tamariki's attempt uplifting in the case of a Hawkes Bay mother and her child. The review will be led by the Chief Social Worker at Oranga Tamariki while a person appointed by Ngāti Kahungunu will provide independent oversight. On 18 June, Prime MinisterJacinda Ardern has ruled out a royal commission of inquiry into Oranga Tamariki's practices. On 22 August 2019, Oranga Tamariki signed an agreement with the North Island iwi Ngāi Tūhoe to ensure that fewer Māori children end up in state care. As part of the agreement, Oranga Tamariki will deal with at-risk Tūhoe children through its Whakatane office to ensure that children were moved from state care into family homes. Earlier in the year, Oranga Tamariki had signed similar partnership agreements with other Māori iwi including Waikato Tainui, Ngāi Tahu and Ngāpuhi. In October 2019, it was reported that Oranga Tamariki was charging an Auckland dad $110 per hour to see his son. During that same month, Hawke's Bay parents refused to participate in a government review, claiming a lack of trust in the investigation.
