Report Release: Experiences of Care in Aotearoa 2023/24

Today we released our fourth full report on agency compliance with the National Care Standards Regulations – Experiences of Care in Aotearoa 2023/24. This report draws on the voices of those experiencing the care system across the motu (country), and the data we gathered from the agencies that hold custody and care of tamariki (children) and rangatahi (young people).

We found that that tamariki and rangatahi are still not receiving the minimum standard of care required by the National Care Standards (NCS) Regulations. The Regulations have been in place since 2019.

Oranga Tamariki, Open Home Foundation, Barnardos and Kōkiri Marae had custody and care responsibilities in 2023/24. Oranga Tamariki had custody of around 99 percent of the 5,722 children in care during the 2023/24 reporting period, our report findings are mostly about it.

There are a number of reasons why the minimum standard of care is still not being met, these include:

• Social workers are not always able to work effectively, including completing meaningful plans and assessments, visiting tamariki and rangatahi as often as they need, and supporting caregivers and whānau.
• Tamariki and rangatahi in care are not prioritised for government services, and funding does not follow the child. We consistently heard about stand-offs between government agencies over thresholds and who is responsible for paying. Social workers, caregivers and whānau have to seek out services and supports child-by-child, relying on established relationships and goodwill, rather than there being a system that automatically responds to need.
• When rangatahi are getting ready to leave care for adulthood at 18, many get help from the transition service. For many this help comes too late, with only 14 percent referred when they become eligible at 15 years old, and just over half by the age of 16. 

Our report found more tamariki and rangatahi are being abused in care. In 2023/24, 507 tamariki and rangatahi (nine percent of those in care) were found to have been abused or neglected while in the custody of Oranga Tamariki. The areas where higher levels of abuse continue to occur are in secure residences (mostly by other rangatahi in the residence) and when tamariki and rangatahi return to their parents’ care while in the custody of Oranga Tamariki. For those returned home, less than a third were visited as frequently as required in the first month, this number is even lower (15 percent) for the half of tamariki and rangatahi who unexpectedly return home without necessary supports in place.

Read the report on our website

Read our media release