Our illustrated summary is in an easy read style and tells our findings from the perspective of tamariki and rangatahi in care.
Download:
The National Care Standards Regulations are the rules that make sure (children) and (young people) in care have what they need. We check that organisations looking after tamariki and rangatahi are following these rules.
To find out what it’s like in care, we listened to and , their and caregivers. We talked with social workers from the organisations who care for them and we also met with people who support tamariki and rangatahi, such as teachers, police, doctors, nurses and youth workers.
We heard from around 200 and and 1,600 other people about how things are going for tamariki and rangatahi in care. We also gathered data about how well needs are being met.
Once we collected the information, we wrote a report and gave it to the Government. We also put the report on our website so everyone can read it.
Many of us are still not getting what we need when we're in care. This is made harder when our social workers don't see us as often as they promised.
Most of us have an assessment and a plan, but they're often missing information and we don't always get the help our plans say we need.
When we need extra help some of us have to wait a long time for it. Sometimes we miss out on school while people talk about who is going to pay for the help we need.
When we are taken into care, there sometimes isn’t a place to stay, and it can take a while to find somewhere.
Most of us are supported by Oranga Tamariki to get to know, and stay connected with, our .
Our caregivers do a great job of looking after us, but they need to know more about us, and they need more help. The help they need is financial, training and some respite.
While we say we feel safe, nearly one in 10 of us is hurt when we’re in care. It’s worse in residences where we are sometimes hurt by other kids and staff, and when some of our parents aren't ready to have us safely return home.
Oranga Tamariki knows when we are more likely to be harmed but lots of us still see our social worker less than we are meant to.
Those of us getting ready to leave care at 18 don’t have someone checking that we have all the things we need to cope on our own. For most of us, Oranga Tamariki doesn’t know if we have somewhere to live, if we know how to manage money, or if we have an IRD number or bank account.
We need everyone to work together to make sure we're safe, well cared for and have the help and support we need.