The number of tamariki
Children (plural) aged 0-13 yearsView the full glossary and rangatahi
Young person aged 14 – 21 years of ageView the full glossary in care has continued to decrease.
| 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|
| 4,543 | 4,329 | 4,217 |
The number of tamariki and rangatahi entering care has increased over the past three years while the number exiting care has decreased.4
| 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of care exits | 1,733 | 1,604 | 1,586 |
| Number of care entries | 1,338 | 1,398 | 1,472 |
Nearly two-thirds of tamariki
Children (plural) aged 0-13 yearsView the full glossary and rangatahi
Young person aged 14 – 21 years of ageView the full glossary in care are aged 10 or over.
There has been a small increase in the proportion of tamariki aged under five and an ongoing increase in the proportion aged 15 or over.
| 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 or over | 31% | 32% | 33% |
| 10–14 | 31% | 32% | 30% |
| 5–9 | 24% | 22% | 22% |
| Under 5 | 14% | 14% | 15% |
The over-representation of tamariki
Children (plural) aged 0-13 yearsView the full glossary and rangatahi
Young person aged 14 – 21 years of ageView the full glossary Māori has not changed over the past three years. Around 69 percent of the care population is Māori.
| Tamariki and rangatahi in care (%) |
Total population aged under 19 (%) |
|
|---|---|---|
| Māori | 69% | 27% |
| European5 | 49% | 65% |
| Pacific Peoples | 16% | 14% |
| Asian | 4% | 19% |
| MELAA* | 2% | 2% |
Ethnicity is the ethnic group or groups a person identifies with or has a sense of belonging to.6 A person can belong to more than one ethnic group.
*Middle Eastern, Latin American and African
Tamariki
Children (plural) aged 0-13 yearsView the full glossary and rangatahi
Young person aged 14 – 21 years of ageView the full glossary in care are three times more likely to be disabled than the general population.7
30 percent of tamariki and rangatahi in care are disabled.
10 percent of the total population aged under 15 are disabled.8
There continue to be more male tamariki
Children (plural) aged 0-13 yearsView the full glossary and rangatahi
Young person aged 14 – 21 years of ageView the full glossary in care than female.
| Male | 56.8% |
| Female | 42.6% |
| Another gender | 0.3% |
| Unknown | 0.3% |
During the 2024/25 year, around 5,640 tamariki
Children (plural) aged 0-13 yearsView the full glossary and rangatahi
Young person aged 14 – 21 years of ageView the full glossary spent time in care. The majority were in Oranga Tamariki custody.9
| 5,580 | Oranga Tamariki |
| 62 | Open Home Foundation |
| <6 | Barnardos |
| <6 | Papauānuku Kokiri Marae |
| Family/whānau | 39% |
| Non-family/whānau | 16% |
| Home – return or remain home with parent(s) | 13% |
| Bednights – NGO/iwi TribeView the full glossary social services11 |
10% |
| Not recorded | 9% |
| Residences | 4% |
| Independent living | 3% |
| Group homes | 3% |
| Interim placement | 3% |
| Other | <1% |
Family/whānau placements have increased since 2024, after declining from a high of 42 percent in 2022. They now account for 39 percent of placements. The proportion of tamariki and rangatahi whose placement type was not recorded has increased from 7 percent in 2024 to 9 percent.
The proportion whose placement is recorded as 'other' has dropped from 9 percent in 2024 to less than 1 percent in 2025.
| Less than 1 year | 17% |
| 1–5 years | 33% |
| More than 5 years | 50% |
There has been no change in duration in care over time.
| One care entry | 83% |
| Two care entries | 13% |
| Three care entries | 3% |
| Four or more care entries | 1% |
The number of care entries is in line with previous years. While most tamariki and rangatahi in care have only entered care once in their lives, 17 percent have been in care more than once.
For more than half of tamariki and rangatahi who come into care, the risk factors that led to the custody application include parental alcohol or drug issues and/or family violence. Neglect is cited as a key concern for almost half of them. Unhygienic or unsafe living arrangements, parental mental health issues or physical abuse are also a key concern in a quarter of all care entries.
| Alcohol and other drug (AOD) – parent(s) | 56% |
| Family violence | 54% |
| Neglect | 45% |
| Unhygienic and/or unsafe living environment | 23% |
| Mental health – parent(s) | 23% |
| Physical abuse | 23% |
| Emotional abuse | 15% |
| Transience or homelessness | 12% |
| Parental supervision | 10% |
| Parental aggression | 9% |
| Offending behaviour of child | 9% |
| Historical information – previous child removed/serious harm | 9% |
| School non-attendance | 9% |
| Medical neglect | 8% |
| Behavioural issues/unable to manage behaviour | 7% |
| Parent(s) unable to manage high/complex needs of child | 7% |
| Offending behaviour of parents | 7% |
This data is based on Oranga Tamariki analysis of a sample of case files of tamariki and rangatahi who had recently been brought into care. Multiple reasons may be recorded for each child.12
This hasn’t changed over time.13
For the 2024/25 period, there is a significant proportion of tamariki and rangatahi in each age group where Oranga Tamariki is not able to report the number of caregivers.
Of those aged 15 or over, 13 percent had six or more caregivers and 37 percent have had an unknown number of caregivers.
From the data, we know at least half of tamariki aged 10–14 had more than one caregiver.
At least one-third of those aged under 5 have experienced a change in caregiver, and 14 percent of those aged 5–9 had four or more caregivers during their time in care.
| Age group | 1 caregiver | 2–3 caregivers | 4–5 caregivers | 6+ caregivers | Not recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 53% | 29% | s14 | s | 16% |
| 5–9 | 39% | 36% | 9% | 5% | 12% |
| 10–14 | 26% | 30% | 15% | 10% | 19% |
| 15 or over | 16% | 21% | 13% | 13% | 37% |
This has not changed over time.
Tamariki and rangatahi experience changes of social workers throughout their time in care.15 Changes are frequent in their first year in care, with tamariki and rangatahi having an average of seven social workers. Tamariki and rangatahi in care for 1–5 years have had an average of nine social workers, and those who have been in care more than five years have had an average of 14 social workers over that time.
The majority (67 percent) of tamariki and rangatahi who have been in care more than five years had 11 or more social workers over their time in care. The majority (77 percent) of tamariki and rangatahi who have been in care less than one year have had 2–10 social workers.16
| Duration in care | 1 social worker | 2–5 social workers | 6–10 social workers | 11–20 social workers | 21+ social workers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 2% | 42% | 35% | 20% | 1% |
| 1–5 years | 1% | 25% | 41% | 30% | 4% |
| More than 5 years | 0% | 5% | 28% | 54% | 13% |
Some tamariki
Children (plural) aged 0-13 yearsView the full glossary and rangatahi
Young person aged 14 – 21 years of ageView the full glossary in custody return or remain home and are cared for by their parents, guardians or usual carers.17 This can be a placement made by Oranga Tamariki, or occasionally tamariki and rangatahi may decide by themselves to return home.
While parents, guardians or usual carers care for tamariki and rangatahi day to day, Oranga Tamariki is responsible for meeting the assessed needs of these tamariki and rangatahi. This includes responsibility for providing supports, services and resources it has agreed to give to tamariki, rangatahi and their parents, guardians or usual carers to help tamariki and rangatahi who return or remain home.
Around 550 tamariki or rangatahi were in a return or remain home placement as at 30 June 2025. This is 13 percent of the Oranga Tamariki care population.
| Under 5 | 14% |
| 5–9 | 25% |
| 10–14 | 37% |
| 15 or over | 24% |
More than 2,300 tamariki
Children (plural) aged 0-13 yearsView the full glossary and rangatahi
Young person aged 14 – 21 years of ageView the full glossary are cared for by a caregiver in the caregiver’s own home. Caregivers must be assessed and approved before tamariki and rangatahi are placed in their care and every two years thereafter.18
Some caregivers care for tamariki and rangatahi over the medium or long term.
Some caregivers provide short-term, emergency care. This is where tamariki and rangatahi are placed with a caregiver at very short notice because of immediate concerns for their safety and care is provided for a short time while other arrangements are made.
Some caregivers provide respite care, where a caregiver provides care over a weekend or short period to give primary caregivers time and space to recharge.
Whānau caregivers are caregivers who are related to tamariki or rangatahi. The priority of Oranga Tamariki or the shared-care partner is to find a caregiver from the wider whānau, where this is in the best interests of tamariki and rangatahi. Around 1,600 tamariki and rangatahi were in the care of whānau caregivers.
Non-whānau caregivers are caregivers who are not related to tamariki or rangatahi. Around 700 tamariki and rangatahi were in the care of non-whānau caregivers.
| Non-whānau caregiver | 16% |
| Whānau caregiver | 39% |
| Under 5 | 23% |
| 5–9 | 29% |
| 10–14 | 32% |
| 15 or over | 16% |
Some tamariki
Children (plural) aged 0-13 yearsView the full glossary and rangatahi
Young person aged 14 – 21 years of ageView the full glossary in care who have high and complex disability needs are cared for in a specialist out-of-home placement designed specifically for the individual.
In this arrangement, one child or rangatahi is cared for by either whānau
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 or non-whānau caregivers and/or rostered Oranga Tamariki or provider kaimahi. These arrangements may be delivered or supported by Oranga Tamariki or a contracted provider.
Specialist out-of-home care arrangements are usually medium to long term.19
Some tamariki and rangatahi in care are cared for in a group home for a range of reasons:
Group homes are usually family-like settings located in communities, where a small group of tamariki and/or rangatahi live together. Oranga Tamariki uses various types of group homes: community homes, supervised group homes, specialist group homes, family homes, remand homes, bail homes and iwiled homes. Group homes are owned or leased by Oranga Tamariki or contracted providers.
In most group homes, staff work in the home on shifts rather than living in the home on a full-time basis. However, some care and protection group homes and some remand homes may have house parents who live in the home with the tamariki and rangatahi.
Group homes are run by Oranga Tamariki or by NGO or iwi
TribeView the full glossary providers contracted by Oranga Tamariki.
There are separate care and protection group homes and youth justice group homes.
| Number of group homes | Bedroom capacity – as at December 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Care and protection (family home) | 19 | 80 |
| Care and protection (other group home) | 120 | 400 |
| Bail home | 2 | 9 |
| Number of group homes | Bedroom capacity – as at December 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Youth justice group home (remand home) | 9 | 46 |
Care and protection group homes are run by Oranga Tamariki or NGO or iwi
TribeView the full glossary providers. Generally, the tamariki
Children (plural) aged 0-13 yearsView the full glossary and rangatahi
Young person aged 14 – 21 years of ageView the full glossary in care and protection group homes are aged 9–17.20 Usually, between three and six tamariki and rangatahi are cared for at any time in each group home.
A supervised group home provides short to medium-term care for tamariki and rangatahi in the care of Oranga Tamariki when suitable alternative care is not available. Supervised group homes are often used as a step down from a care and protection residence.
Other care and protection group homes are run by Oranga Tamariki or NGO providers contracted by Oranga Tamariki and are intended to provide medium to long-term, stable placements for tamariki and rangatahi who are in the care of Oranga Tamariki. These can deliver specialist support, including addressing harmful sexual behaviour, disability or other high and complex needs.
Oranga Tamariki also has family homes where a caregiving couple live and care for up to six tamariki and rangatahi. Professional staff may also help (including relief or respite care support) within these homes. Unlike other group homes, the caregiving couples who provide the day-to-day care in these homes are not usually paid a salary and are akin to caregivers who deliver care in their own homes.
Bail homes are run by NGO or iwi providers contracted by Oranga Tamariki. Bail homes care for tamariki and rangatahi who are on bail from the Youth Court where an alternative bail address is not available. Tamariki and rangatahi being cared for in a bail home are usually in the care or custody of Oranga Tamariki, but this is not always the case.21
Most youth justice group homes offer a community option for tamariki
Children (plural) aged 0-13 yearsView the full glossary and rangatahi
Young person aged 14 – 21 years of ageView the full glossary who have been placed in custodial remand because they are unable to stay at home. Reasons for their placement include:
These remand homes look similar to care and protection homes but may have some enhanced safety and security features. Remand homes are run by Oranga Tamariki or an NGO or iwi
TribeView the full glossary provider contracted by Oranga Tamariki.
Remand homes are used to care for tamariki and rangatahi aged 13–17 who have been arrested and are waiting to come before the Youth Court or who have appeared before the Youth Court and have been remanded into the custody of Oranga Tamariki while their matter is still before the Court. Remand homes are used as an alternative to youth justice residences, where appropriate.
Remand homes are monitored by Mana
Prestige, authority, control, power, influence, status, spiritual power, charismaView the full glossary Mokopuna | Children’s Commissioner under the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture as they are deemed to be places where tamariki and rangatahi are detained. Group homes can be inspected by the Ombudsman because of a complaint or if the Ombudsman decides to undertake an investigation.
| Care and protection group home | 274 tamariki and rangatahi |
| Youth justice group home | 212 tamariki and rangatahi22 |
Of the total care and protection care population, 5 percent of tamariki and rangatahi spent some time in a care and protection group home during the year 1 July 2024 – 30 June 2025. Of the total youth justice custody population, 35 percent of tamariki and rangatahi spent some time in a youth justice group home during the year 1 July 2024 – 30 June 2025
As at 30 June 2025, the median length of stay in a care and protection group home was 80 days and the average was 219 days (based on their most recent group home placement). However, 50 percent of tamariki and rangatahi stayed in their most recent care and protection group home placement for less than 60 days, while 25 percent stayed for six months (181 days) or more.
As at 30 June 2025, the median length of stay in a youth justice group home was 16 days and the average was 35 days for their most recent stay.
| Percentage of total group home placements | |
|---|---|
| Under 5 | 1% |
| 5–9 | 8% |
| 10–14 | 32% |
| 15 or over | 59% |
Residences are generally larger secure residential facilities that are established and operated under a specific regulatory framework. Tamariki
Children (plural) aged 0-13 yearsView the full glossary and rangatahi
Young person aged 14 – 21 years of ageView the full glossary cared for in a residence have their own bedroom but share living spaces with other tamariki and rangatahi in the residence. Tamariki and rangatahi cannot freely come and go from residences and they are closely supervised.
Residences are subject to some special provisions in the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 as well as the Oranga Tamariki (Residential Care Regulations) 1996. These regulations cover:
Residences are also monitored by Mana
Prestige, authority, control, power, influence, status, spiritual power, charismaView the full glossary Mokopuna | Children’s Commissioner under the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture as they are deemed places where tamariki and rangatahi are detained. Residences can also be inspected by the Ombudsman because of a complaint or if the Ombudsman decides to undertake an investigation.
There are two types of residence: care and protection and youth justice.
Tamariki and rangatahi in care and protection residences can be aged 9–17. The largest care and protection residence can accommodate up to 20 tamariki and rangatahi at any one time.
Tamariki and rangatahi in youth justice residences can be aged 10–17.23 The largest youth justice residence can accommodate up to 46 tamariki and rangatahi at any one time.
Oranga Tamariki currently operates five youth justice residences24 and three care and protection residences.25
One further care and protection residence previously operated by Oranga Tamariki is not currently operational.26 In October 2025, the Minister for Children announced that this residence will be upgraded and will resume operations in late 2026.27 When reopened, the residence will be for children with high and complex needs, with a focus on therapeutic, trauma-informed care.
A fifth care and protection residence28 delivers therapeutic care for a specific purpose and is operated by an NGO provider.
As at 30 June 2025, there were around 150 tamariki and rangatahi in a residence placement. Around 20 were in a care and protection residence and around 130 in a youth justice residence.
| Care and protection residence | 20 |
| Youth justice residence | 130 |
Some rangatahi
Young person aged 14 – 21 years of ageView the full glossary in care are helped to live independently where:
Rangatahi who live independently are still in the care or custody of Oranga Tamariki, and Oranga Tamariki remains responsible for them. They continue to need the supports and structures required by the NCS Regulations
(National Care Standards and Related Matters) Regulations 2018 View the full glossary, including regular visits and contact from their social worker. These regular visits should help ensure their circumstances and changing needs are assessed and that they receive the supports and entitlements identified in their All About Me plan. Around 100 rangatahi were in independent living as at 30 June 2025.
Sometimes tamariki
Children (plural) aged 0-13 yearsView the full glossary and rangatahi
Young person aged 14 – 21 years of ageView the full glossary live in other types of accommodation. These include boarding schools, residential schools and interim arrangements such as a hotel, motel or boarding house or staying overnight at an Oranga Tamariki site office. Other alternatives include living with carers (either whānau
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 or non-whānau) who have not yet been provisionally or fully approved as caregivers under the NCS Regulations
(National Care Standards and Related Matters) Regulations 2018 View the full glossary.
Hotels and motels are meant to be used as a last resort in emergency situations for a short time while a more suitable care option is identified.
When tamariki and rangatahi are living in interim accommodation such as a hotel or motel, they are cared for by a minder, a security guard, a casual staff member, a family member, a reliever or a social worker.
“I reckon the best way to help [young people] is just give them time and let them know you understand them. Just be beside them. There’s healthier ways of doing it. It’s an individual connection with each kid. If you can’t do that then you shouldn’t be a social worker.”
“Show support. If you have worries, they support you. I remember the first night I came to this house, I was scared shitless and that lady on the wall [photo of kaimahi] sat with me for three hours and read me a book until I fell asleep. They support you when you’re not feeling the best mentally. They will be there to support and guide you. They try and make things better for you the way you want.”
“[Residence kaimahi] just help me stay in my own waka.”
“I think a lot more support and trust in adults … I have been able to have a lot of connections. I wouldn’t change my life in any way. I am a better person than yesterday, a lot of wise men in my life and I need to be a wise man myself. Right people right choices.”
“I am working to get my NCEA level 2. Because I was out of school for quite a while. Now, I’ve got 10 credits, so when I get out, I will go back to school. [I’ve] been out of school for two to three years, but I am physically and mentally fit now. I’ve changed a lot while here, and once am out [of residence], I will go back to school.”
“He says calm down in the cells and I’ll take you home. He stuck to his word. We need more police, more like him, [who don’t] use and abuse his badge.”
3 Oranga Tamariki was unable to include tamariki
Children (plural) aged 0-13 yearsView the full glossary and rangatahi
Young person aged 14 – 21 years of ageView the full glossary in care under short-term care and protection warrants in figures for those in care as at 30 June or during the period 1 July – 30 June.
4 Each child could have entered or exited more than once during the reporting period, including under different orders. Entries and exits into care under short-term care and protection warrants are included in these figures.
5 This also includes ‘other ethnicities’ not further defined which account for less than 1 percent of those in care and custody.
6 For younger tamariki, ethnicity is usually identified by their parent or guardian.
7 The general population figure relates to tamariki and rangatahi aged under 15, whereas the in-care figure relates to tamariki and rangatahi aged 0–17. The methodology used by Oranga Tamariki and Stats NZ for disability differs. This may impact on comparability of figures. Oranga Tamariki relies on diagnosed disability, whereas Stats NZ relies on self-reported disability in the New Zealand Disability Survey.
8 Stats NZ Household Disability survey 2023. stats.govt.nz/information-releases/disability-statistics-2023/
9 To protect the privacy of individuals, we follow Stats NZ guidelines and do not disclose the exact number of individuals when that number is below 6. This is to reduce the risk that information could be used to identify individuals or learn private information about them.
10 As at 30 June 2025. Because of changes to the Oranga Tamariki data platform, there are differences between the figures shown here and what we have published previously.
11 Oranga Tamariki describes bednights as placements where Oranga Tamariki has a contract with another organisation to provide a placement. Under these contracts, Oranga Tamariki pays for a certain number of beds for a certain number of nights per year. The contract is not tied to a particular child, location or caregiver. The type of placement can vary depending on the type of care the organisation specialises in. This care ranges from 1:1 care for tamariki with higher needs to placements that are similar to family homes.
12 As reviewers could record more than one concern, the total percentages will add up to over 100 percent. Oranga Tamariki noted that the reviewer’s interpretation of the recorded information may not accurately reflect which concerns were the most significant or the complexities of multiple concerns at the time the child came into care.
13 Figures differ from our previous reporting due to changes in the data provided by Oranga Tamariki.
14 The letter ‘s’ shows we have suppressed the data. To protect the privacy of individuals, we follow Stats NZ guidelines and suppress (do not disclose) the exact number of individuals when that number is below 6. This is to reduce the risk that information could be used to identify individuals or learn private information about them.
15 Figures differ from our previous reporting due to changes in the data provided by Oranga Tamariki.
16 Figures include social workers from before tamariki and rangatahi entered care.
17 Usual carer in this context means another member of the child’s family, whānau
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, hapū
Sub-tribeView the full glossary, iwi
TribeView the full glossary or family group who was caring for them before they came into care or custody.
18 In accordance with the requirements set out in Part 3 of the NCS Regulations
(National Care Standards and Related Matters) Regulations 2018 View the full glossary. This assessment is undertaken by either Oranga Tamariki or a shared-care partner.
19 Oranga Tamariki was not able to provide information about the number or ages of tamariki and rangatahi in specialist out-of-home care arrangements as at 30 June 2025.
20 However, family homes can provide care for tamariki and rangatahi aged 0–18.
21 In cases where Oranga Tamariki does not have care or custody, Oranga Tamariki has advised that the consent of a parent or guardian is sought.
22 The minimum age of criminal responsibility is 10 years old in Aotearoa
New ZealandView the full glossary.
23 There can also be rangatahi aged 18–19 in youth justice residences.
24 Korowai Manaaki, Whakatakapokai, Te Maioha o Parekarangi, Te Au rere a te Tonga and Te Puna Wai o Tuhinapo.
25 Puketai, Epuni and Kaahui Whetuu ki te Pito.
26 Te Oranga (admissions have been paused since mid-2021).
27 Chhour, K. (2025, October 10). High-needs residential care to re-open. beehive.govt.nz/release/high-needs-residential-care-re-open
28 Te Poutama Ārahi Rangatahi.
29 For the last two years, we have asked Oranga Tamariki for more information about the tamariki and rangatahi it had placed in motels (including information on the ages of tamariki and rangatahi). Last year, Oranga Tamariki told us it had begun tracking data on motel usage and should be able to provide this information for our future reports. However, Oranga Tamariki was not able to provide additional information this year. Some further information about motel usage (total number of nights tamariki and rangatahi spent in motels and length of stay) is included in the section of this report on Oranga Tamariki compliance with Part 3 of the NCS Regulations.