- Hon Karen Chhour
Children's Minister Karen Chhour has received confirmation that Oranga Tamariki have made progress on the removal of targets not focused on child safety and wellbeing.
"I am pleased to announce that Oranga Tamariki are finally moving beyond priorities not directly related to the care and protection of children - they will now prioritise safety above all else," Mrs Chhour says.
Currently, Oranga Tamariki have a 58% target for placing children in care with wider family/whanau.
Oranga Tamariki have also had a target for the proportion of investment with Māori/Iwi organisations of greater than 23%.
"I was concerned by this approach and asked Oranga Tamariki to undertake a full scoping review of all existing appropriation measures, to ensure that Oranga Tamariki is focused on the things that matter most to our most vulnerable children and young people."
"These outdated departmental targets go against the 'need not race' directive, and there are also concerns with whether it is appropriate for this self-classification of being a Māori/Iwi organisation to be prioritised over the quality and efficacy of the services being provided."
"With the removal of requirements and targets that do not focus solely on ensuring children are physically safe and cared for, Oranga Tamariki can now be solely focused on their core responsibility which is the care and protection of children."
"This is both a safety-first approach and one that will lead to overall better services and outcomes for children," Mrs Chhour says.
