News and updates | Ā mātou karere

22 October 2025

Media release: Oversight agencies call for urgent and continued focus on safety of children in State care following increase in number of children harmed

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October 9, 2025

Media release: Oversight agencies welcome first step in weaving stronger safety nets for children

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11 June 2025

Media release: Outcomes for tamariki and rangatahi Māori and their whānau in the oranga tamariki system 2023/24

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26 February 2025

22 November 2024

1 August 2024

1 February 2024

21 February 2024

29 January 2024

25 January 2024

9 August 2023

1 February 2023

We are already a quarter of the way through the year, and our monitoring team has nearly completed the Greater Wellington visit, Te Tai Tokerau is well underway, and preparation has begun for our Waikato visit which starts in August.

Today we released our fourth full report on agency compliance with the National Care Standards Regulations – Experiences of Care in AotearoaCloseAotearoa
New ZealandView the full glossary 2023/24. 

We’re pleased to share with you our third full report on agency compliance with the National Care Standards Regulations – Experiences of Care in AotearoaCloseAotearoa
New ZealandView the full glossary 2022/2023.

Today we released our second in-depth review, Access to Primary Health Services and Dental Care.

I’m pleased to share with you our latest report on agency compliance with the National Care Standards Regulations – Experiences of Care in AotearoaCloseAotearoa
New ZealandView the full glossary 2021/2022.

The team at Aroturuki TamarikiCloseTamariki
Children (plural) aged 0-13 yearsView the full glossary, the Independent Children’s Monitor, is thinking of all those affected by the devastating cyclone and send our love and support.

This year our kaimahi have travelled across the motu. 

Thank you to all who welcomed us into their communities, offices and homes.

In just 18 months, to June this year, our monitoring teams met with 280 tamarikiClosetamariki
Children (plural) aged 0-13 yearsView the full glossary and rangatahiCloserangatahi
Young person aged 14 – 21 years of ageView the full glossary, 70 whānauClosewhānau
Whānau refers to people who are biologically linked or share whakapapa. For the Monitor’s monitoring purposes, whānau includes parents, whānau members living with tamariki at the point they have come into care View the full glossary, 260 caregivers and over 1,500 kaimahi (staff) from iwiCloseiwi
TribeView the full glossary and Māori partners, non-government organisations and government agencies.

Launch of report 2022

To be a successful monitor and provide insights and information that can drive system change, we need to have open and honest conversations with everyone involved in the State care system.

We are preparing to expand our monitoring function to meet the Monitor’s new obligations set out in the Oversight of Oranga Tamariki System and Children and Young People’s Commission Bill.

Despite the continuing challenges of Covid, 2021 has been a milestone year for us at the Monitor. We submitted our first full report, "Experiences of Care in AotearoaCloseAotearoa
New ZealandView the full glossary: Agency Compliance with the National Care Standards and Related Matters Regulations".

Thank you all for your time, hospitality and the opportunity to hear your voices 

Work on new legislation that will broaden the scope of the Monitor is in its final stages and we are hopeful that it will be introduced into Parliament by the end of the year. 

Our teams from Pōneke, Tāmaki, ŌtautahiCloseŌtautahi
ChristchurchView the full glossary and Ngā Motu came together earlier this month for a wānanga at the beautiful Waiwhetū marae, to reflect on our bicultural development, the important mahiClosemahi
WorkView the full glossary we are involved in, and discuss our way forward.

Our monitors have been coming back with some incredible stories from tamarikiClosetamariki
Children (plural) aged 0-13 yearsView the full glossary and from communities working collaboratively to improve the quality of care. 

We have published our third report outlining agency compliance with the Oranga Tamariki (National Care Standards and Related Matters) Regulations 2018 (NCS RegulationsCloseNCS Regulations
(National Care Standards and Related Matters) Regulations 2018 View the full glossary).This report ends phase one of our monitoring programme. 

From December 2020, we have begun monitoring and reporting on all the NCS RegulationsCloseNCS Regulations
(National Care Standards and Related Matters) Regulations 2018 View the full glossary.

This mahiClosemahi
WorkView the full glossary will help us to understand the experiences of those who have interacted with the Oranga Tamariki system and help indicate whether positive outcomes for tamarikiClosetamariki
Children (plural) aged 0-13 yearsView the full glossary, rangatahiCloserangatahi
Young person aged 14 – 21 years of ageView the full glossary and whānauClosewhānau
Whānau refers to people who are biologically linked or share whakapapa. For the Monitor’s monitoring purposes, whānau includes parents, whānau members living with tamariki at the point they have come into care View the full glossary wellbeing are being achieved.

We have published our second report outlining agency compliance with the Oranga Tamariki (National Care Standards and Related Matters) Regulations 2018 (NCS RegulationsCloseNCS Regulations
(National Care Standards and Related Matters) Regulations 2018 View the full glossary).

With all the "zooming" we've been doing and seeing our friends and colleagues on our screens, we thought we'd try something a little different this month and send you a video update.

Watch our video update

Feedback from the 2019 Engagement huiClosehui
Meeting, gatheringView the full glossary with Māori has been collated into a single report, focused on the main themes raised. MSDCloseMSD
Ministry of Social DevelopmentView the full glossary has incorporated analysis of this feedback into drafting the legislation and will continue to have oversight over this process.

Farewell to Executive Director Melissa Gill. We thank Melissa for her leadership over the past nine months and her commitment to making a real difference to the lives of tamarikiClosetamariki
Children (plural) aged 0-13 yearsView the full glossary and rangatahiCloserangatahi
Young person aged 14 – 21 years of ageView the full glossary.

While we’re still working through the North Island huiClosehui
Meeting, gatheringView the full glossary, we have completed all our South Island hui with six held attracting over 150 attendees, including providers, Māori / IwiCloseIwi
TribeView the full glossary focussed providers and organisations, government agencies and local district health boards.

Already 2020 has been a busy year for us. We have published our first Report Agency Compliance with Regulations 69 and 85 of the Oranga Tamariki (National Care Standards and Related Matters) Regulations which is now available on our website.

This email is a repeat of the Monitor’s first newsletter sent at the end of last year.

Please note, included is the information sheet about the upcoming regional huiClosehui
Meeting, gatheringView the full glossary.Download the Regional Hui information sheet (PDF 293KB) Register for a hui near you so you don’t miss out 

Over the last six months the Monitor has been working hard to deliver its first report to the Minister for Children. The report was provided to the Minister in December and the Monitor hopes to be able to share it with you in early 2020.