Part 2: Support to address tamariki and rangatahi needs

There has been no improvement in the measures used by Oranga Tamariki to track how well tamarikiClosetamariki
Children (plural) aged 0-13 yearsView the full glossary and rangatahiCloserangatahi
Young person aged 14 – 21 years of ageView the full glossary needs are met

Around half of all tamariki and rangatahi Māori in care are being supported to establish, maintain and strengthen connections with their marae, hapūClosehapū
Sub-tribeView the full glossary or iwiCloseiwi
TribeView the full glossary

There has been a steady reduction in disabled tamariki and rangatahi having appropriate disability-related services and supports in place

Barriers to supporting disabled tamariki and rangatahi are discussed later in this section.

Most tamariki and rangatahi in care have opportunities for play and other age-appropriate experiences

For most tamariki and rangatahi in care, there is evidence of social workers carrying out all or some of the actions agreed in their plans

As discussed in our previous reports, this measure is focused only on social worker actions such as making referrals and is not an indication that services and supports are actually being provided.

Oranga Tamariki measures for health and education do not assess whether needs are actually being met

We have previously reported that Oranga Tamariki does not assess, at a national level, whether the health and education needs of tamariki and rangatahi in care are actually being met.⁵⁶

The plans of most tamariki and rangatahi in care reflect their health needs

The plans of most tamariki and rangatahi in care reflect their education needs

Health and education are vital for the wellbeing and long-term prospects of all tamariki and rangatahi in care, but the Oranga Tamariki lead indicators for health and education focus only on needs being identified and addressed in plans.

Oranga Tamariki designed the lead indicators as a mechanism to measure the agency’s compliance with the NCS RegulationsCloseNCS Regulations
(National Care Standards and Related Matters) Regulations 2018 View the full glossary. However, the health and education lead indicators fall short of achieving this. Have needs “addressed” in a plan means only that services and supports have been written into it. It does not mean that those services and supports have been delivered.

For health, the NCS Regulations require that reasonable steps are taken to ensure tamariki and rangatahi in care are enrolled with a primary health organisation (PHO) and accessing annual health and dental checks. For education, the NCS Regulations require that reasonable steps are taken to ensure tamariki and rangatahi in care are enrolled in education and that Oranga Tamariki is monitoring both attendance and educational progress.

We recognise that the NCS Regulations do not expressly place responsibilities on the Ministries of Health and Education. However, it is still the case that the Oranga Tamariki lead indicators only measure whether health and education needs are written into individual plans. They do not measure whether health and education services are delivered.

This is not a child-centred approach, and it hampers the agency’s ability to assure itself of its compliance with legislation. It means there is no measure by which Oranga Tamariki can assure itself, at a national level, that identified needs are met.⁵⁷ This is similar to the indicator on social worker actions (lead indicator 15 outlined above) where only the action taken by the Oranga Tamariki social worker is monitored.

In contrast, the three lead indicators on iwi and hapū connection, disability, and play and recreation include an assessment of what is being delivered for tamariki and rangatahi in care. To assure itself that the health and education needs of tamariki and rangatahi are met, Oranga Tamariki could change lead indicators 6 and 7 to mirror the disability lead indicator (lead indicator 13) by adding “and appropriate services and supports are in place” to the measures.⁵⁸ This would also enable an understanding of outcomes sought by other agencies under the Oranga Tamariki System Action Plan.

Oranga Tamariki has work underway to address some of the findings of our previous reports

We have previously reported that the invisibility of a child’s care status was a barrier to accessing primary healthcare and other health services. Our 2023 in-depth report Access to Primary Health Services and Dental Care⁵⁹ found that healthcare professionals are keen to prioritise tamariki and rangatahi in care but have no way of knowing when tamariki and rangatahi are involved with Oranga Tamariki (or in care and custody). We understand work is underway between Oranga Tamariki, the Ministry of Health and Health NZ to ensure care status is visible to health practitioners so they can provide a more tailored service. We welcome this.

Access to Primary Health Services and Dental Care also found there was no shared understanding between Oranga Tamariki and medical professionals of what an annual health check should look like for tamariki and rangatahi in care. Oranga Tamariki has confirmed that progress was not made during the 2024/25 reporting period. However, it has advised that work has since begun with Health NZ to develop standardised annual health assessments and to jointly share information about this requirement with PHOs, GPs and Oranga Tamariki kaimahi. This work was started in September 2025 in response to issues that emerged when implementing the National Care Standards Action Plan.

Data shows access to primary healthcare is generally good, but we do not know if tamariki and rangatahi are getting annual health checks

We have looked at Stats NZ Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI) data on the care population for an accurate indication of the extent to which tamariki and rangatahi have access to primary healthcare. We have been able to make comparisons with tamariki and rangatahi who are not involved with Oranga Tamariki and found access is at a similar rate.

Tamariki and rangatahi in care access primary health services in line with other tamariki and rangatahi

As well as rates of PHO enrolment and GP visits being in line with the general population aged 0–17, this year’s Oranga Tamariki caregiver survey shows that caregivers needed less support for primary healthcare than in previous years.⁶⁰ Oranga Tamariki has told us it spent $2.9 million with private providers on health services for tamariki and rangatahi in the 2024/25 reporting period.⁶¹ However, data from Oranga Tamariki is still unable to show whether tamariki and rangatahi are able to access the annual health and dental checks outlined in the NCS Regulations.

Our regional engagements suggest there are few barriers to accessing primary healthcare for tamariki and rangatahi in care

Most of the tamariki and rangatahi we spoke with, including those in residences, said they could see a GP when they need to, and had access to a dentist.

“I went to the dentist. It went good, I was only there for five minutes.” RANGATAHI

“We don’t really go to the doctor, but we have a doctor. We haven’t been in a while. And we get regular [dental] check-ups at school.” RANGATAHI

We heard more measured perspectives from kaimahi from Oranga Tamariki and other providers as well as from caregivers. In Te Tai Tokerau and the Bay of Plenty, for example, we were told about a shortage of PHO services and long waitlists.⁶²

“In 18 months up here, I can’t get a doctor’s appointment, [even] a doctor [that we could do online consult] or go [to] see a practice nurse even at the hospital, after hours. Accessing health [service] is hard up here, there’s no enrolments [to GPs] because they are full.” ORANGA TAMARIKI KAIMAHI

“The waitlists here. I don’t know if it’s the whole of New Zealand, but here it’s 6–8 weeks to even get an appointment with a local GP, so we had to wait to even be approved to apply. It went on for too long, and he needed to see a doctor – and it’s just a hindrance and that, but it would have been nice to have this kid seen.” CAREGIVER (SHARED CARE)

We also heard that confusion around who is required to give consent to medical procedures is still sometimes preventing tamariki and rangatahi in care from accessing the healthcare they need.

“We had a [child] here, we only had [them] for three weeks. This kid ate everything ... We suspected [they] had worms. We told [their] Oranga Tamariki social worker who did nothing. We told our caregiver social worker who told us we couldn’t take [child] to see a doctor as we didn’t have consent [from the whānau]. No one would do anything. We heard later on from the next caregiver who looked after [child] that [they] had worms and had to be hospitalised for it. It worries me that we can’t access healthcare at times for the tamariki in our care.” ORANGA TAMARIKI CAREGIVER

Confusion around parental/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 consent to medical procedures was covered in Access to Primary Health Services and Dental Care.⁶³ Oranga Tamariki has since advised that it published a practice note in May 2025 to support improved understanding of caregiver rights.⁶⁴

Access to primary healthcare is more mixed for tamariki and rangatahi in group homes and residences

Almost all the rangatahi in youth justice residences who spoke with us during the reporting period spoke positively about accessing healthcare.

“The dentist is different. [They have to] hire one as there is not a dentist on site. All boys have gotten dental care. One of my fillings flung out. One and done when my filling came out. I come once every month.” RANGATAHI

“You’ll be checked in a medical room … We have a separate room for health checks where the doctor would see us.” RANGATAHI

“I can go to the doctor when [the nurses] don’t know how to do something. [The doctor is] cool as.” RANGATAHI

“Last time I was here, I saw the dentist, so all good till next year, and there’s a doctor that comes in on Wednesday, can see for meds and things higher than the nurses. The nurses come around and see us in the units.” RANGATAHI

In general, residence kaimahi said doctors and nurses are available in residences, although we also heard that one care and protection residence has lost medical professionals because clinicians had concerns for their physical safety. Some care and protection residence kaimahi said that off-site medical appointments for tamariki and rangatahi can sometimes be missed because of staffing shortages that impact on the availability of chaperones.

Kaimahi in group homes had mixed views on the provision of primary healthcare, with some citing concerns about covering medical costs and an inconsistent approach to funding by Oranga Tamariki.

“There is such inconsistency with sites … Medical costs as well. Tamariki need to have threemonthly check-ups for their meds. Who covers the cost? One site confirms that [the shared care provider] covers the first $100 then the site will cover the rest. There is an inconsistency of what’s happening. It’s hard to go back and say ‘well, this site has paid’. It’s the different calls that they make.” GROUP HOME LEADERSHIP (PROVIDER-RUN)

Some group home kaimahi spoke positively about Oranga Tamariki social workers taking tamariki and rangatahi to healthcare appointments.

Oranga Tamariki data does not provide assurance that mental health needs are met

This is our fifth report on compliance with the NCS Regulations where we have raised concerns about access to mental health services and supports for tamariki and rangatahi in care.

The World Health Organization states that “mental health is more than the absence of mental disorders”.⁶⁵ In its 2025 report card on child wellbeing, UNICEF states that “mental health also includes elements of happiness, life satisfaction and a sense of flourishing”.⁶⁶

In 2023, Oranga Tamariki released its needs assessment on mental health and stated that “the children and young people involved with Oranga Tamariki often have high mental health and wellbeing support needs, including depression and suicidal ideation, anxiety, mood disorders and substance use, as well as a range of other (undiagnosable) manifestations of mental distress”.⁶⁷

IDI data shows that, in 2023:

35 in 1,000tamariki and rangatahi in care aged 10–17 were hospitalised for self-harm 2 in 1,000tamariki and rangatahi aged 10–17 with no involvement with Oranga Tamariki⁶⁸ were hospitalised for self-harm.

As previously reported, we remain concerned that Oranga Tamariki does not monitor the use of SKS screens for tamariki and rangatahi in care. It is Oranga Tamariki policy that these screens must be used in certain situations. These include whenever tamariki and rangatahi are held in police custody, enter a residence, have experienced significant traumatic events (and/or risk factors are present) and/or whenever there are concerns about mental health and/or suicide and/or substance abuse. However, the small number of kaimahi who discussed the SKS tool⁶⁹ with us said that Oranga Tamariki practice leaders are responsible for providing training but don’t always know the tool well enough themselves. This results in kaimahi receiving training on SKS screens but feeling poorly equipped to use them to assess mental health need among tamariki and rangatahi.

“There were some things the practice leaders were saying that were wrong, like the tool only has six questions to ask, but there’s heaps of questions.” ORANGA TAMARIKI KAIMAHI

“They didn’t give us any paperwork, they didn’t give us the Kessler manual or any information about how we are meant to interpret that. It was just ‘this is how you complete the form’, not what it means or what the next steps are.” ORANGA TAMARIKI KAIMAHI

In the last few years, we have asked Oranga Tamariki about its monitoring of how and when SKS tools are used. This year, we again heard there is “no national level assurance that all tamariki and rangatahi who require SKS screens are consistently receiving one”, and there is no data available on the usage of SKS screens.⁷⁰ Oranga Tamariki has told us it carried out a review in 2024 to explore whether a level of quality assurance could be applied to the SKS tool. A decision was made that the assessment of risk and harm is “more appropriately considered within the mental health context by CAMHS at that stage”.⁷¹ In our view, leaving the assessment of risk and harm to CAMHS is concerning because we consistently hear in our community engagements that CAMHS is difficult to access.

Oranga Tamariki has advised that it uses other data sources to assess mental health need among tamariki and rangatahi in care. This includes IDI analysis that shows 27 percent of tamariki and rangatahi in care use specialist mental health services in a given year. Oranga Tamariki notes that many more tamariki and rangatahi in care would also access primary and community services for mental health needs or school-based services. Oranga Tamariki has also advised that it spent $2.3 million in 2024/25 on outsourced psychological services for tamariki and rangatahi in care, and 600 tamariki and rangatahi in care were monitored under the Towards Wellbeing programme to provide clinical advice on suicide risk.⁷²

Oranga Tamariki has also told us that its Clinical Services team is consulted prior to outsourcing psychological and therapeutic services. In 2024/25, Clinical Services provided psychological and therapeutic services to 700 individuals and over 2,000 consults to social workers. Oranga Tamariki states that this is tracking higher for the 2025/26 year.

We remain concerned, however, that IDI data on access rates and information on expenditure do not provide assurance that the individual mental health needs of tamariki and rangatahi are identified and addressed. As stated in our Access to Primary Health Services and Dental Care report, although data matches from the IDI are “one solution to improving records, the best source of data will come from social workers who have contact with tamariki and rangatahi, and who actively record when and how they are supporting their health needs”.⁷³ It is only through social work practice and accurate records that Oranga Tamariki can assure itself that needs are assessed, plans made and appropriate health services delivered to meet the needs of individual tamariki and rangatahi.

We therefore look forward to the data infrastructure upgrade that Oranga Tamariki tells us will improve data fields to record mental health need in a structured way.

Kaimahi tell us that access to mental health services remains a struggle and shows no signs of improvement

Oranga Tamariki has advised that IDI data for 2022/23 shows access to mental health specialist services is over nine times higher for tamariki and rangatahi in care than for the general child and youth population aged 0–17 (27 percent compared to 3 percent respectively). Oranga Tamariki has also advised that 57 percent of tamariki and rangatahi in care using specialist mental health services are seen within 48 hours. This compares to 27 percent for the general child and youth population aged 0–17. Quicker access can be due to tamariki and rangatahi in care having more acute mental health needs.⁷⁴

However, in our 2024/25 regional engagements, we heard familiar accounts of difficulties accessing mental health services and supports for tamariki and rangatahi in care. We heard about a lack of availability and long waitlists for mental health support, with few services other than public ICAMHS available. Depending on the region, we heard about waitlists ranging from six months to two years.

“One of our workers still works with [connecting] families to ICAMHS, and it’s been months and months. Two years – it’s very long.” NGO LEADER

We heard similar accounts from caregivers who feel they have to advocate to Oranga Tamariki on behalf of the tamariki and rangatahi in their care.

“[Tamariki] mental health isn’t great, and we’re struggling to get support around that, so I asked to meet with my caregiver social worker to talk about it. The referral was then made in October. I finally get an email from them in December saying they’re still working it out and in the meantime here’s a list of agencies you could contact. I got an email in January to say that she was going to be offered an appointment … to see if she meets the criteria for trauma, anxiety and emotional regulations. But there’s an eight to twelve-month wait period. So she basically won’t be able to get support until the end of the year, and then you’re not even guaranteed then if she’ll get it. I said to the social worker, this isn’t okay, and we can’t wait till the end of the year. For [Oranga Tamariki], it isn’t bad enough to get a quick response.” ORANGA TAMARIKI CAREGIVER

Kaimahi from Oranga Tamariki and other providers told us that difficulties accessing mental health support meant that they or other non-mental health professionals were having to try to provide support themselves with varying degrees of knowledge, tools and skills.

“We are not trained in first aid or mental health. I used salt water [to clean a self-harm wound], I don’t know what the heck I’m doing. Mental health, we can’t talk about it [in a clinical way]. I don’t know how to handle sensitive subject matters.” RESIDENCE KAIMAHI

Many kaimahi who spoke with us during the reporting period gave a concerning picture of the support available to them.

“No mental health support there for the rangatahi. Supports only come when we have reached crisis level … [Rangatahi] has a knife and wants to stab someone. Not enough done in the prevention space. Non-existent relationships with mental health. We use the crisis team⁷⁵ if we have to on a case-by-case basis. That is managed by the Oranga Tamariki social work team. For some kids, we have certain kids who we get support with. The [district health board] can be responsive. It seems to me that they are only responsive in terms of what they can fund. There is a limited type of tool in their toolbox. We had staff leave our organisation and start mentoring operations because of the gaps.” GROUP HOME LEADER

We also heard that, in residences, there are occasions when tamariki and rangatahi are put into secure care ⁷⁶ during times of mental distress and/ or emotional dysregulation for their own and others’ safety. This happens because appropriate services and supports are unavailable – and sometimes happens at the request of the child or rangatahi themselves.

“Boys with mental health [need] are really not that supported … Our only real solution is secure. In that space, where they are unsafe, there is no other option.” RESIDENCE KAIMAHI

“When secure care is on the fuller side, all [rangatahi] have to have time outside and have time out of their room. Certain young people come in more for their mental health reasons, sometimes not the best [option for rangatahi] but more safe than being in the open unit.” RESIDENCE LEADER

“I like secure better than the open unit. It gets me away from all this drama. [Young person’s name] will always come in with me to secure. She will do something to meet the grounds to come to secure.” RANGATAHI

In terms of mental health and the many difficulties in accessing services and supports, the tamariki and rangatahi we spoke with during the reporting period confirmed what we heard from kaimahi.

From kaimahi, we also heard that a lack of mental health services – such as court-ordered mental health assessments⁷⁷ – results in some tamariki and rangatahi being in youth justice placements longer than necessary.

“The other thing is s 333 [psychological] reports are taking six months to get done and [Criminal Procedure (Mentally Impaired Persons)] process because multiple health professionals need to be involved in that process. Rangatahi are sitting in [youth justice] for longer because they can’t have the assessments completed that they need to get them support.” ORANGA TAMARIKI KAIMAHI

“If kids are in residences, we’re able to develop bail plans, go back to FGC once we get the 333 [psychological report] and develop recommendations on that. Sometimes kids are not bailed and we have to wait, so [kids] have to wait eight weeks for a 333 [psychological report] before anything happens. The social worker could have told you what the recommendation should be anyway if they could do the assessment.” ORANGA TAMARIKI NATIONAL LEADER

Agencies tell us they are making progress in addressing mental health needs for tamariki and rangatahi in care

Information provided by the Ministry of Health shows that it is working more closely with Oranga Tamariki to support the mental health of tamariki and rangatahi in care. This includes the establishment of new liaison roles, bespoke training and longer-term planning to increase the mental health capability of Oranga Tamariki staff.⁷⁸

Oranga Tamariki has also advised that the crossagency mental health work underway under the Oranga Tamariki System Action Plan has a range of actions with different timeframes. The programme of work has a focus on building the mental health capability of Oranga Tamariki kaimahi, better collaboration between agencies (ICAMHS, youth forensics and Oranga Tamariki) and the development of a cross-agency model of care for tamariki and rangatahi with complex needs.

Some of the actions have already been completed,⁷⁹ and others are on track to be completed in 2026/27 and 2027/28.

More immediately, we will be looking at the additional mental health support that has been provided in Oranga Tamariki residences in Dunedin when we visit the Lower South region in 2025/26.

Disabled tamariki and rangatahi in care generally have poorer access to services than their non-disabled peers

Although Oranga Tamariki was unable to provide some key data on disabled tamariki and rangatahi in care (such as health and education enrolments) for the reporting period, the data it does have points to inequities.

Case file analysis, for example, shows that the parents or legal guardians of disabled tamariki and rangatahi in care were able to participate in health decisions at a lesser rate than parents or legal guardians whose tamariki and rangatahi are not disabled. While the average rate was 75 percent, only 69 percent of disabled tamariki and rangatahi had parents or legal guardians involved in these decisions (compared to 82 percent for non-disabled).

In contrast, Oranga Tamariki data on educational concerns shows that disabled tamariki and rangatahi in care were more likely to have had a concern raised about their educational progress in 2024/25. They were then more likely to have had action taken to address these concerns.⁸⁰

Our 2024/25 regional engagements highlighted that access to services and supports for disabled tamariki and rangatahi in care is generally worse than for their non-disabled peers. We also heard about disabled tamariki and rangatahi experiencing numerous changes in placements that were not able to meet their needs. Sometimes this is because disability-related information was not shared prior to placement (as for some wheelchair users who were placed in facilities that are not accessible by wheelchair), but sometimes this was the result of funding cuts.

We particularly heard that disability-related services and supports that were once considered routine are now difficult to access. Kaimahi from a number of agencies and providers implied that this is the net effect of funding restrictions being applied across multiple agencies. The High and Complex Needs (HCN) fund was given as an example because it is jointly administered by Oranga Tamariki, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education.

“The impact is being asked to cover things never covered before … We are having to say no or provide workarounds. We can provide this bit but not that bit. We can provide speech-language therapy, but if [a] computer is a need, we can’t provide that, and no one else can either. There is an inability to give the child completely what they need. They get parts of it. This increases stress for HCN. More referrals come through with agencies saying, ‘can you help with this?’ When a young person is referred and we have to decline, as their needs could be and should be met by other agencies, it is stressful. We all want the best for the young person.” ORANGA TAMARIKI KAIMAHI

We also heard in our regional engagements that there was a perception that Disability Support Services, administered by Te Manatū Whakahiato Ora | Ministry of Social Development, had been gatekeeping access to some services for disabled tamariki and rangatahi in care. We have since spoken directly with kaimahi at Disability Support Services and we understand that this was not fully accurate. In 2024/25, some services were unable to be funded because the annual Needs Assessment Service Coordination budget was strictly enforced and top-up funding, which had been routinely available in previous years, was not provided. Additional funding has since been announced by the Minister for Disability Issues,⁸¹ which should mean that funding difficulties experienced in 2024/25 do not occur in the coming years.

This year, we did hear about some very positive examples – green shoots – of supports for disabled tamariki and rangatahi in specialist group homes that cater to the holistic needs of the rangatahi.

“[Group home kaimahi] treat him like a human. He is not treated any differently to anyone else. They are really culturally responsive. They have taken him to the Māori Village. They know him. They acknowledge that he is a Māori and they do the best to accommodate this. He will have been there for two years. If you had [rangatahi] two years ago, he had trauma from a family member – he has more words now and he has grown so much as a person. He is flourishing.” 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

All tamariki and rangatahi in care should receive an education

The NCS Regulations set out the responsibilities of Oranga Tamariki to meet the educational needs of tamariki and rangatahi in care by ensuring that those aged 6–15 (compulsory school age) are enrolled at a registered school. Enrolment in early childhood education (ECE) is required when considered to be in the best interest of tamariki aged 5 or under, and rangatahi aged 16 or over must be in education, training or employment.

Oranga Tamariki has additional responsibilities to monitor attendance and educational progress of tamariki and rangatahi enrolled in school and to ensure that assistance is provided to support the education and training needs of tamariki and rangatahi in care. Such support “may be provided through the education system or in other ways” (regulation 41(2)).

Education is essential for the wellbeing of tamariki and rangatahi, both for now and the future. In its 2025 report on school attendance, Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga | Education Review Office notes the link between school attendance and achievement. The impacts of missed school are stark: “Long-term consequences of poor attendance include lower qualifications, reduced employment and income, poorer health, increased justice system involvement, and higher government costs”.⁸²

The Education Review Office also outlines how difficult it is for tamariki and rangatahi to catch up from earlier absences: “irregular attendance has long-lasting effects on later attainment. This is because the impact of non-attendance builds over time and is why early attendance habits are crucial. How often a student attends school in primary years strongly predicts their attendance in secondary school. Primary education also builds the foundational skills needed for success later on, and gaps created by missed learning can make it harder for students to keep up and stay engaged in secondary school”.⁸³

Data shows that attending school less than 70 percent of the time means that, by age 20–25, individuals are less likely have NCEA level 2 qualifications and “more likely to live in social housing and have emergency hospital admissions”.⁸⁴

It is also widely recognised that tamariki and rangatahi coming into care are likely to have experienced adverse childhood experiences and multiple layers of inequity and are likely to have had their education disrupted already.⁸⁵

Data from the IDI also shows that tamariki and rangatahi in care are more likely to experience poor outcomes in many areas in later life. For example, young adults who have been in care as children are much more likely to spend time in emergency housing and much less likely to be employed or have a driver licence than young adults who have had no involvement with Oranga Tamariki (or its predecessor Child, Youth and Family).⁸⁶

Education is a protective factor that can help change this trajectory and offer this group of tamariki and rangatahi more hope for the future.

Given the absolute importance of attending school, urgent consideration must now be given to ensuring that all tamariki and rangatahi in care and custody have access to education. School enrolment for tamariki and rangatahi for whom education is compulsory should be at 100 percent, yet we continue to hear in our regional engagements that this is not the case.

Agencies are failing to ensure that all tamariki and rangatahi of compulsory school age are enrolled in education as required by law

The Education and Training Act 2020⁸⁷ makes clear that all tamariki and rangatahi aged 6–16 who are domestic students, as defined in section 10 of the Act and the Education (Domestic Students) Notice 2023, must be enrolled and attend a registered school unless an exemption has been approved.⁸⁸ The legislation also states that “students who have special educational needs (whether because of disability or otherwise) have the same rights to enrol, attend, and receive education at State schools or charter schools as students who do not” (section 34(1)).

Oranga Tamariki has provided data on school enrolments for tamariki and rangatahi in care during the 2024/25 reporting period. In all age groups, data from Oranga Tamariki this year is different from the data it has supplied in previous years.⁸⁹

About half of all tamariki in care aged 1–4 are enrolled in early childhood education

Most tamariki and rangatahi in care aged 5 are enrolled in early childhood education or at a registered school

One in 10 tamariki and rangatahi in care of compulsory school age are not enrolled at a registered school

More than one in 10 rangatahi in care aged 15 or over are not in education, training or employment

It is extremely concerning that there is still a group of tamariki and rangatahi in care and custody who are without any educational enrolment. Data for 2024/25 suggests there were 323 tamariki and rangatahi in care and of compulsory school age who had no school enrolment.⁹⁰ These tamariki and rangatahi are not receiving any kind of formal education. They are not truanting – they don’t have any educational placement available to them. Further, their lack of enrolment means they are invisible in attendance statistics, which are based on school rolls.⁹¹

In November 2025, Oranga Tamariki and the Ministry of Education completed their first information share. This was to capture accurate and up-to-date enrolment and attendance data for all tamariki and rangatahi in care. It was also intended to overcome any shortcomings in the accuracy of data recorded within Oranga Tamariki systems. At the time of writing this report, Oranga Tamariki advised that it was not able to share this data with us.

Enrolments for tamariki and rangatahi of compulsory school age should be sitting nearer to 100 percent, as required by law (and allowing for formal exemptions). Given that “school nonattendance” is among the reasons given by Oranga Tamariki for bringing tamariki and rangatahi into care in the first place,⁹² it is vital that the organisation now places as much importance on ensuring tamariki and rangatahi aged 6–15 in its own care and custody are receiving an education.

School attendance is lower for tamariki and rangatahi in care than for the non-care population 

The Government has set a target of 80 percent of students attending regularly (for 90 percent or more of the time) by 2030. Budget 2025 included $140 million more over four years (2025–2029) for attendance initiatives. We have been able to use the IDI to compare groups of tamariki and rangatahi. This shows that primary school attendance rates for tamariki and rangatahi in care are comparable with those who are not involved with Oranga Tamariki. However, there is a stark difference in secondary school attendance.⁹³

Secondary school attendance is much lower for tamariki and rangatahi in care compared to tamariki and rangatahi who are not involved with Oranga Tamariki

This is even more concerning when we consider that attendance figures are based on school rolls. As such, they do not include those tamariki and rangatahi discussed above who do not have any educational enrolment at all. This group of tamariki and rangatahi is invisible in the Government’s attendance targets.

We continue to hear about barriers preventing tamariki and rangatahi in care from accessing education

During our 2024/25 regional engagements, we heard familiar stories about tamariki and rangatahi in care being left without any educational placement. We have reported on this previously.⁹⁶

We don’t always hear whether tamariki and rangatahi in care are unenrolled due to having been suspended or excluded. The Ministry of Education advises that stand-downs, suspensions, expulsions and exclusions have specific legislative provisions, process and accountabilities. These are different from those that apply more generally to enrolment and attendance.

Regardless of the reason for having no educational placement, we continue to hear from tamariki, rangatahi, caregivers and kaimahi that some tamariki and rangatahi are left idle during school hours, sometimes sitting in Oranga Tamariki site offices with minimal adult supervision.

We have reported on barriers to enrolment over several years, and it seems clear that there is no single factor or set of circumstances that prevents education being offered to tamariki and rangatahi in care. The most commonly identified barriers are poor information sharing, poor communication, negative attitudes towards those in care and a lack of advocacy from and between Oranga Tamariki, the Ministry of Education and individual schools.

The unenrolled tamariki and rangatahi we spoke with in 2024/25 weren’t always able to tell us why they had no enrolment, but a few said it was because Oranga Tamariki had not supported them to enrol.

“They haven’t put me in school since I’ve been in care. That was back when I was 11.” RANGATAHI (AGED 16)

“It sucks, basically – I really want to go back to school.” RANGATAHI

A small number of caregivers and whānau members also spoke about tamariki and rangatahi in care being unable to get a school enrolment.⁹⁷ They attributed this to Oranga Tamariki, either for providing insufficient educational support or for being willing to accept non-enrolment.

“[Rangatahi] was only allowed to stay at school for two hours. [Oranga Tamariki] didn’t give enough support [for rangatahi to stay and be supported to learn in school].” WHĀNAU CAREGIVER

“All kids need some form of education, but Oranga Tamariki get on their [rangatahi] case in some cases when they don’t go to school. But here [with this rangatahi], [Oranga Tamariki] were allowing her not to go.” WHĀNAU CAREGIVER

A site leader from Oranga Tamariki demonstrated this when they were critical of a care provider that only accepts group home and caregiver referrals for tamariki and rangatahi who are enrolled in school. The site leader implied that the provider should accept tamariki and rangatahi without school enrolments and told us it takes time to coordinate support with the Ministry of Education after a student has been excluded.

Similarly, an iwi youth justice provider told us that rangatahi are missing out on NCEA credits they have earned because their Oranga Tamariki social workers have not enrolled them in Te Kura (correspondence school).

In our 2024/25 regional engagements, Education kaimahi told us Oranga Tamariki sometimes fails to provide basic information to schools.

“Yesterday, we got an enrolment application from Oranga Tamariki … on the application, we got no phone number, no email, basically we only have a physical address. It makes it really difficult for us to start the enrolment process and start the learning process.” EDUCATION KAIMAHI

“Sometimes we encounter barriers because not everyone is as forthcoming as they should be, particularly in terms of communicating to us the required information … When this happens, the child suffers … the enrolment process takes longer than normal.” MINISTRY OF EDUCATION LEADER

However, when we spoke with kaimahi from Oranga Tamariki about school enrolments, we heard several accounts of the Ministry of Education being unhelpful.

“[Child] was stood down. [Oranga Tamariki] contacted [Ministry of Education], gave back story and summary, any advice and guidance welcomed. But they just said if he is in the zone for another college, enrol him there. [It was] not helpful.” ORANGA TAMARIKI KAIMAHI

“There are too many kids not in school. [Ministry of Education] falls into that. A lack of resources, processes not followed on [Ministry of Education] side.” ORANGA TAMARIKI REGIONAL LEADER

We also heard familiar accounts of individual schools being unwilling to accept enrolments from tamariki and rangatahi in care.⁹⁸ Oranga Tamariki kaimahi attribute this to stigma around care status and perceptions of disruptive behaviour.

“With our kids who have the greatest need, Education don’t want to have a bar of them cos they are too hard. That is the reality. The other day, one of my site managers told me that a school have said that a child will never go back to their school and no other schools will take them. That is part of the challenge for me” ORANGA TAMARIKI REGIONAL LEADER

“[Local college] are not very welcoming there. They have labelled our kids ‘[Group home name] kids’ and it’s shocking … I think there is already a bias against kids in care. There is a natural bias against kids in care as it costs them more. [Ministry of Education] have to compel [local college] to take the kids.” GROUP HOME LEADER

Oranga Tamariki and the Ministry of Education tell us the lack of information sharing hinders school enrolments

We have heard for many years that poor information sharing at a local level is what hinders school enrolments. This is particularly the case when Oranga Tamariki withholds information about tamariki and rangatahi being in care, presumably to avoid stigma or because they feel unable to share this information. We heard several similar accounts this year.

“In our system, we cannot find all the students in [Oranga Tamarik] care – we may not always know.” EDUCATION KAIMAHI

“Sometimes it is legally bound that you can’t know but it prevents us putting boundaries in place at school to wrap around the students. If we knew of a student being with Oranga Tamariki, we need to identify who needs to be in place to support them. It makes it very hard for us to put whatever support in place at school if we don’t know, and it might lead to negative interactions at school because there isn’t a context or understanding that can escalate as well.” SCHOOL LEADER 

“The Oranga Tamariki involvement is a challenge because we don’t usually know they have Oranga Tamariki involvement. That’s our biggest struggle.” SCHOOL LEADER

“No one knows whether the children [enrolled at our school] are in care and we are unable to discern and to have an understanding what schools are expected to deliver. [Oranga Tamariki] were very surprised to hear the disconnect. There is a belief that [information sharing with Oranga Tamariki is] undertaken [but] these are not working.” SCHOOL LEADER

We also heard that information about specific tamariki and rangatahi needs is often not forthcoming from Oranga Tamariki and that this prevents enrolments progressing.

“Often we’re not told stuff we really need to know, particularly when we enrol students. We got to a point where we refused to enrol any students connected to Oranga Tamariki unless they had [a Ministry of Education] representative in the room. [Oranga Tamariki] wouldn’t tell us information from previous incidents from [the child’s] previous school as they didn’t want us to be biased against an enrolment decision.” SCHOOL LEADER

“Oranga Tamariki is not responsive to pursue any conversation to discuss the situation, at least to let us know the needs of the child. It is hard to step in without understanding what happened and what needs to be done. We’re setting the child to fail in this situation.” SCHOOL LEADER

Education kaimahi told us that, when schools don’t know the history or needs of students, they can’t put appropriate support in place. This “sets students up to fail”.

Oranga Tamariki and the Ministry of Education have now started monthly information shares

In response to our 2023/24 Experiences of Care in AotearoaCloseAotearoa
New ZealandView the full glossary report, the Ministry of Education referred to joint work with Oranga Tamariki “to support children in care to engage and succeed in education”. As outlined above, this was to include actioning the agencies’ information-sharing agreement on enrolment and attendance data, with the first data share scheduled for February 2025. The Ministry of Education has confirmed that, following technical delays, the first information share took place in November 2025. We understand monthly information shares were to follow.⁹⁹

We recognise that the information shares are still new for both agencies. However, when we spoke with the Ministry of Education about the detail behind the information-sharing provisions, we heard that information about school enrolments and attendance for tamariki and rangatahi in care would be shared at a national level by the Ministry of Education with Oranga Tamariki. The Ministry expects that Oranga Tamariki – in the place of the parent – would follow up on enrolments and attendance at the local level and, if necessary, lodge complaints with individual school boards and then with the Ombudsman if schools refuse enrolments.¹⁰⁰

We have questioned why the same information is not being shared across and within the Ministry of Education to facilitate enrolments. The Ministry of Education has advised it is working in one region to share education data supplied under the information-sharing agreement. Work will begin in 2026 to trial processes aimed at supporting tamariki and rangatahi in care in the region to transition from ECE to school, to improve school attendance (for those with chronic attendance) and to enrol them back into school (where they are not enrolled).

The Ministry of Education has also advised that the development of two new data shares is in in progress for 2025/26. One will focus on standdowns, suspensions, exclusions and expulsions and the other will focus on interventions and learning support. Both are scheduled to be developed by 30 June 2026. The overall informationsharing agreement between Oranga Tamariki and the Ministry of Education will also be reviewed by this date.

We look forward to receiving and analysing the data from these information shares for our future reports.

The Ministry of Education has told us about other work it is doing to support access to education

The Ministry has advised that it understands the evidence showing high numbers of non-enrolled tamariki and rangatahi in care. It also understands the impact of stand-downs, suspensions, exclusions and expulsions on non-enrolment. The Ministry is reviewing its protocol with Oranga Tamariki, the first stage of which will focus on chronic attendance (attendance at less than 70 percent) and be completed by 30 June 2026. The second stage will seek to update the protocol between Oranga Tamariki and the Ministry of Education to include non-enrolled tamariki and rangatahi. This is planned to begin in 2026. The Ministry had told us that our findings align with improvements it is making for tamariki and rangatahi who are not enrolled in education.

We recognise that traditional school settings may not be appropriate for all tamariki and rangatahi in care. Other options exist within the education network that are not being made available to them. We have heard that learning through Te Kura, for example, is not always possible in care settings without an appropriate adult available to support and supervise tamariki and rangatahi during school hours.

Tensions remain over roles and responsibilities between Oranga Tamariki and the Ministry of Education

In our 2024/25 regional engagements, we heard very familiar experiences of the tension over roles and responsibilities between Oranga Tamariki and the Ministry of Education. We continued to hear about stand-offs between Oranga Tamariki and the Ministry and/or individual schools about which agency will fund educational supports for tamariki and rangatahi in care with particular needs.

 At the heart of these disagreements is the question of responsibility. Tamariki and rangatahi in the care and custody of Oranga Tamariki are in State care, but we continue to hear kaimahi from the Ministry of Education discussing Oranga Tamariki as if it is solely responsible (as the parent). This is a narrow view of the Ministry’s legal responsibilities, focusing only on express legal obligations and reinforced by the lack of obligations placed on other agencies in the NCS Regulations. This narrow view ignores the Ministry’s wider responsibilities as a children’s agency and a party to the Oranga Tamariki System Action Plan. It also ignores its own commitments as set out in accountabilities mechanisms such as the Ministry of Education’s strategic intentions.¹⁰¹

When kaimahi from the Ministry of Education refer to agency responsibility, it is often in the context of funding.

“Some agencies say we will not do anything between 9am and 3pm because that’s on [Ministry of Education] but sometimes it doesn’t work like that … we need Oranga Tamariki to understand how our funding works. We don’t have readily available flexible funding to step into those gaps.” MINISTRY OF EDUCATION LEADER 

“I think [Oranga Tamariki] believe that maybe the [Ministry of Education] will pay for it and support between 9am and 3pm, but that is a myth and a lack of communication. Maybe an agreement at very high level needs to occur so there is very clear guidance so it can be more transparent.” MINISTRY OF EDUCATION LEADER

“And just on 9am to 3pm with [Ministry of Education] being responsible, I’ve also heard that that messaging was shared from very high up in Oranga Tamariki, and it was seen as ‘here’s one way to save a bit of money’, so anything between those hours that was going to be on Education.” MINISTRY OF EDUCATION LEADER

Some Oranga Tamariki kaimahi told us that the Ministry of Education tries to pass the responsibility to fund education supports over to Oranga Tamariki and that they “aren’t pulling their weight”.

“Same with education, schools even look at us, if a kid’s disengaged, well it’s for [Oranga Tamariki] … There are issues about who’s going to fund, they always look towards [Oranga Tamariki].” ORANGA TAMARIKI KAIMAHI

“There is an unspoken thing that, once Oranga Tamariki is involved, we will do everything.” ORANGA TAMARIKI KAIMAHI

The learning support needs of tamariki and rangatahi in care, and which agency will fund them, continues to be a source of contention between agencies. This year, we heard from kaimahi at the Ministry of Education that the care status of tamariki and rangatahi is not always known unless referrals have come in for learning support practitioners or Ongoing Resource Scheme (ORS) funding.

“Not every child that is known to Oranga Tamariki is necessarily connected in with [Ministry of Education] or even known to the school that they are in care or involved with the system … In fact, it’s rare we know every child in the Oranga Tamariki system, we support to be inclusive and responsive to all children.” MINISTRY OF EDUCATION LEADER

We wanted to know how much Oranga Tamariki spent on learning support for tamariki and rangatahi in care during the reporting period. Oranga Tamariki told us it is unable to isolate this information but it spent $7.699 million on education-related costs during the reporting period, including school fees and uniforms.¹⁰²

Oranga Tamariki has also completed a review of student aide support with recommendations being progressed as initiatives under the Oranga Tamariki System Action Plan 2025/26. Oranga Tamariki has advised that this work ties in with the updated memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Education. Work underway or planned includes revising inter-agency guidelines on student aide support and a gap analysis relating to student aide funding. Oranga Tamariki practice guidance has also been updated.

This is the fifth year in which we have reported on tamariki and rangatahi missing out on education. Although the Ministry of Education takes a narrow legal view of its responsibilities, there is broader legislation and ministerial expectation that enable the Ministry to more actively meet the education needs of tamariki and rangatahi in care. As we stated last year, the State must be a model parent.¹⁰³

In discussing its responsibilities towards tamariki and rangatahi in care, the Ministry of Education has confirmed its position that:

• under sections 35 and 36 of the Education and Training Act 2020, students between the ages of 6 and 16 years must be enrolled and attend school
• under sections 243 and 244, parents and legal guardians commit an offence if this does not occur
• where Oranga Tamariki holds legal guardianship, it is responsible for school enrolment and attendance
• as steward of the education system, it is responsible for enabling school enrolment and attendance, which includes contracting the attendance service to support parents, legal guardians and/or Oranga Tamariki to meet their requirements
• where barriers for enrolment and attendance exist, agencies must work together to resolve access issues.

We did hear examples of what is possible when agencies work together

During our 2024/25 engagements, we did hear what is possible when agencies work together. We heard a few examples of Oranga Tamariki, the Ministry of Education and schools working well to support tamariki and rangatahi in care. One such example is the Tautoko panel in Te Tai Tokerau.

“We also have a Tautoko panel [a group of professionals who meet regularly in Te Tai Tokerau] that’s a bit higher level, which was set up to support the process of supporting tamariki known to Oranga Tamariki. This group helps us sort out any issues and challenges that come up … The last couple of years that we have this [Tautoko] panel, it is easier to coordinate work and find solutions to any barriers that come our way, in supporting young people in their education. You know who to reach out to, you can connect to the right person and tell what are needed and we problem solve together.” MINISTRY OF EDUCATION LEADER

In these instances, kaimahi told us that information sharing and good communication ensure that tamariki and rangatahi in care have their educational needs met and will be able to achieve positive educational outcomes.

We also heard a positive account from a school about how it has worked with the Ministry of Education and an NGO to overcome the challenges presented by tamariki and rangatahi with concerning behaviours.

“We were told about a child who had committed sexual assault … We reached out to [Ministry of Education] to get full wraparound support to have a teacher aide to help teach this student what is right and what wasn’t. We worked with WellStop.¹⁰⁴ He left school with qualifications, and he never did anything inappropriate. The times he did minor things, we got WellStop. So this thing about not telling schools to prevent prejudice is not right, we are not like that, we will accept and support, if we know there is funding available and we can accept and support them.” SCHOOL LEADER

In 2023/24, we reported on the positive difference that the Oranga Tamariki senior advisor education and health role was making in the regions we visited. In our three regional engagements in 2024/25, we heard that at least one of these regional roles has been vacant for a number of years. This is another missed opportunity.

Establishing, maintaining and strengthening whānau connection continues to be an area of good practice for Oranga Tamariki

The NCS Regulations include a requirement that tamariki and rangatahi are supported to remain in contact with their parents, whānau and families while in care. This is important because it contributes to feeling loved and having a sense of belonging and identity, which support wellbeing. It is also helpful for long-term stability as there will come a time when tamariki and rangatahi return home or age out of the oranga tamariki system.

Whānau connection is an area of stability and good practice

There is room for improvement for tamariki and rangatahi Māori who are supported to establish and maintain whānau connection at a lower rate than other tamariki and rangatahi in care.¹⁰⁶

The generally high rates of whānau connection were confirmed in the majority of our regional engagements during the reporting period. Many tamariki and rangatahi told us about positive connections with whānau (including parents and siblings) and that the frequency of whānau contact feels right. They told us about in-person visits as well as phone and video calls when kanohi-to-kanohi contact is difficult. Some tamariki and rangatahi spoke of daily phone calls or being able to call whānau whenever they want. Some spoke of weekly visits or being able to see whānau whenever they want. 

“Can talk to [whānau] Wednesday and possibly Saturday because that is all the free time I have. I can call them whenever I want.” RANGATAHI 

“Ask the staff to speak to my nan. I get to speak to her as much as I want to.” RANGATAHI 

“Pretty grateful for the video calls. I worry about what happens on the outs [outside the residence] and that whānau are okay. I’m happy I get to do the video calls because sometimes I can’t remember what they look like, since I have been in here a while.” RANGATAHI 

“[Mum] is doing great and coming around and spending time with us. The other person is my sister, we do movies and stuff like that.” CHILD 

“When my brother and sister comes over, we play games. Have a card game, car game and Lego games. Play Roblox. We can play three player with [my] brother and sister on iPad, computer and phone.” CHILD

This was supported by many caregivers, whānau members and kaimahi from a range of organisations we spoke with. The majority gave positive accounts of whānau connection for tamariki and rangatahi in care, with some also discussing how tamariki and rangatahi have decided who they want to be in contact with and how much contact they want.

“I visit twice a week … He has decided who to be on his contact list. There’s not many: me, my mum, his grandfather – his dad’s dad, who I have taken in to visit [young person]. And then there’s his brother…” PARENT

“[My daughter] contacts myself and an uncle … I hear from her every night.” PARENT

“[Tamariki] keep in touch with their great grandparents and see them every school holidays … [great grandad] usually takes them out and they see their siblings … He will take them to the pools and get ice cream and all that.” NON-WHĀNAU CAREGIVER

“For me that’s [connection with whānau] mainly just his choice. He’s got access to them through his phone. I know he talks to his sister and mum … I hear him on the phone.” GROUP HOME KAIMAHI

“Yes [whānau can visit] if they’ve made a phone call and arranged it. We tell the kid that they can visit whānau but we need to go through the whānau engagement worker. We need to make sure they are safe to visit at home.” GROUP HOME KAIMAHI (ORANGA TAMARIKI-RUN)

“If [rangatahi] are from out of town and whānau can’t visit in person, [case leaders] help to do video conferencing once a week.” RESIDENCE LEADER

Some tamariki and rangatahi also told us about special occasions and outings. These included a sibling’s birthday, visiting whānau in another region during school holidays and, in one case, visiting a parent overseas.

A couple of tamariki and rangatahi spoke of not having contact with whānau by their own choice.

“I cut [whānau] all off. They were holding me back and I want to go forwards, not backwards.” RANGATAHI

Similarly to previous years, we also heard from a small number of tamariki and rangatahi that whānau contact was not happening as frequently as they would like. Sometimes tamariki and rangatahi tell us they don’t know why. Sometimes it is due to whānau members being unable or unwilling to maintain contact, particularly for tamariki and rangatahi in group homes and residences that may require travel. Sometimes there has been no whānau contact despite it being agreed at an FGC.

“There was agreement in the FGC. One of the conditions is to have a phone call to me at least once a week. I never had any phone call. That’s never been a thing. Sometimes my boys just want to hear good night. My son is saying he wants to say goodnight or just wants a cuddle, but I don’t know why they’re not calling me … though things are changing now, and I been receiving calls because of [the social workers].” PARENT (WITH TAMARIKI IN PROVIDER-RUN GROUP HOME)

We heard some tamariki and rangatahi in residences find it difficult to maintain connection with whānau in prison This year, we heard some tamariki and rangatahi in residences experience difficulties in maintaining contact with parents in prison. Sometimes this is because of the nature of charges.

“I’ve got a rangatahi who wants to contact dad. Dad is in prison and was told no because of the charges both rangatahi and dad have … We went to the team leader operations, and she was able to give me guidance on how to approach it. [Rangatahi] is still wanting to talk with dad, but it’s a work in progress.” NGO KAIMAHI

However, sometimes it is simple logistics that get in the way. We were told about strict time limits for phone calls from prisons, with valuable minutes being used in the time it takes for residence kaimahi to get the child to a phone (or a phone to the child). Although this may affect only a small number of individuals, we heard that inflexibility and/or a lack of coordination in both agencies is a barrier. In our view, it would not take much for Ara Poutama Aotearoa | Department of Corrections and Oranga Tamariki to address this as there is a pro-social benefit for both parents and their children in being able to connect with one another.

“They fail there with Corrections and the youth justice. They just don’t have programmes [to reconnect parents in prison and children in residences]. [Parents] do make an effort when they see their child.” RESIDENCE KAIMAHI

In response to what we heard in these engagements, the Department of Corrections has told us it recognises the significant role family relationships play in wellbeing and rehabilitation and that it prioritises whānau connections as a key contributor to reducing reoffending and improving outcomes. Time limits on phone calls can present challenges but are in place to maintain security and ensure equitable access for all people in prison.

The Department of Corrections went on to state that prison general managers can provide an extension to the time limits in exceptional circumstances and that, where possible, kaimahi work to identify practical solutions, including arranging calls at suitable times and/or exploring alternative options such as video calls. The agency told us it remains committed to working collaboratively with Oranga Tamariki to address barriers and explore improvements that promote safe and pro-social contact.¹⁰⁷

We encourage Oranga Tamariki to continue supporting whānau connection

In its annual report on compliance with the NCS Regulations, Oranga Tamariki cites its strong practice with tamariki and whānau Māori as being behind its high compliance with the NCS Regulations relating to whānau connection. It also states that Oranga Tamariki has “a significant amount of work underway to improve our practice and response to tamariki and whānau Māori, including consolidation of our Māori-centred practice paradigm”.¹⁰⁸

One of the practical enablers we heard about in our regional engagements is financial support from Oranga Tamariki. Some tamariki and rangatahi told us about Oranga Tamariki paying for close family members to visit. This included flights, taxis, petrol vouchers and accommodation. This was supported by some caregivers and whānau.

“Yeah, [mum] hasn’t come before but [she] is coming on Friday. Oranga Tamariki are paying for her flights.” RANGATAHI

“[The acting case leader] sorted out accommodation and petrol for us to visit.” PARENT

“I have a belief that [rangatahi] know they are valued because [youth justice social workers] care. I spend money on sending whānau to visit their rangatahi, so I give petrol vouchers.” ORANGA TAMARIKI REGIONAL YOUTH JUSTICE LEADER

Although this was not consistent and we did hear accounts of funding difficulties, it is encouraging that there is good practice in place to support tamariki and rangatahi in care to remain in contact with whānau. As one Oranga Tamariki leader put it, “it would be dreadful to be isolated in care” – and, as tamariki and rangatahi tell us, it matters greatly to them.

54 As outlined in this section, Oranga Tamariki has advised that joint work with Health NZ is now underway.
55 SACS stands for Substances and Choices Scale. The SKS screens are designed to assess mental health and substance use issues among tamarikiClosetamariki
Children (plural) aged 0-13 yearsView the full glossary and rangatahiCloserangatahi
Young person aged 14 – 21 years of ageView the full glossary.
56 See (pp. 45–46) of reference at footnote 39. We have also provided this feedback directly to Oranga Tamariki during consultation on the development of its lead indicator framework.
57 Although not directly linked to the lead indicators or other measures used, Oranga Tamariki has told us it has developed its approach to clinical governance. Endorsed by the Oranga Tamariki Executive Leadership Group in November 2025, Te Riu, the approach to clinical governance, provides a systematic approach to meeting the clinical (health and disability) needs of all tamariki and rangatahi who the agency works with. Oranga Tamariki states that “it is about access to the right health and disability services, high quality and safe services, and achieving more equitable health outcomes. There is a focus on providing a quality response to young people with the most complex needs.”
58 We recognise that Oranga Tamariki states that the “primary means to monitor and understand the level of engagement of services, how they are being experienced by tamariki, rangatahi and their 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 and/or caregivers, and their effectiveness, is through direct social work engagement” (Oranga Tamariki response to Aroturuki Tamariki ǀ Independent Children’s Monitor’s annual data and information requestion: 2024/25 financial year, p. 10). We don’t dispute this, but in order for Oranga Tamariki to satisfy itself that needs are being met, information arising from social work practice must also then be recorded and monitored.
59 Aroturuki Tamariki | Independent Children’s Monitor. (2023). Access to Primary Health Services and Dental Care. aroturuki.govt.nz/reports/access-to-primary-health-services-and-dental-care
60 2024 Oranga Tamariki caregiver survey. While the need for healthcare support appears to be lower in the 2024 caregiver survey than in the previous year, a change in the survey reporting makes them difficult to directly compare. In 2023, healthcare support needs were shown as a proportion of the caregivers who responded to the survey. In 2024, healthcare support needs were presented as a percentage of all the responses to the multi-choice question on various support needs.
61 We did not ask Oranga Tamariki to specify the types of services covered.
62 Kaimahi in Te Tai Tokerau told us they advise tamariki and rangatahi coming into the region to keep their PHO enrolments in other regions if they have them.
63 See footnote 58.
64 Oranga Tamariki. (2025). Chief Social Worker practice note: Upholding the manaClosemana
Prestige, authority, control, power, influence, status, spiritual power, charismaView the full glossary and rights of caregivers. practice.orangatamariki.govt.nz/assets/practice/Practice-notes/practice-note-upholding-the-mana-and-rights-of-caregivers.pdf
65 World Health Organization. (2025). Mental health. who.int/data/gho/data/themes/theme-details/GHO/mental-health
66 UNICEF. (2025). Child well-being in an unpredictable world (Innocenti Report Card 19) (p. 14). unicef.org/innocenti/media/11111/file/UNICEF-Innocenti-Report-Card-19-Child-Wellbeing-Unpredictable-World-2025.pdf
67 Oranga Tamariki. (2023). Mental health and wellbeing needs of children and young people involved with Oranga Tamariki: Oranga Tamariki Action Plan (p. 3). orangatamarikiactionplan.govt.nz/assets/Action-Plan/Uploads/Understanding-need/Mental-health-and-wellbeing/OT-MW-Needs-Assessment_final-for-publication_Redacted.pdf
68 Self-harm hospitalisations rose to 3.5 percent for those in care or custody in 2023. This is up from 2.6 percent in the previous year. Self-harm hospitalisations for those with no involvement with Oranga Tamariki remained stable between 2022 and 2023.
69 The tool is used by anyone working directly with tamariki and rangatahi who has been trained to use the screens to “help us assess whether te tamaiti is dealing with substance abuse issues, suffering from psychological distress, or at risk of death by suicide”. Oranga Tamariki. (2025). SACS, Kessler and Suicide screens (SKS). practice.orangatamariki.govt.nz/core-practice/practice-tools/other-practice-and-assessment-tools/sacs-kessler-and-suicide-screens-sks
70 Response to Aroturuki Tamariki annual data and information request, August 2025. Oranga Tamariki has advised that questions about whether the SKS and suicide screens had been used were removed from Care Standards case file analysis in 2022. This was because the methodology did not allow a determination of whether the mental health needs of tamariki and rangatahi were acute or long-standing and therefore the limited line of questioning did not enable an indication of performance in this area of practice. Amending the methodology to provide a good understanding of practice in this space would have required adding a significant number of questions to the Care Standards case file analysis template. Priority was instead given to adding other key practice questions that were specifically related to NCS RegulationsCloseNCS Regulations
(National Care Standards and Related Matters) Regulations 2018 View the full glossary.
71 Response to Aroturuki Tamariki annual data and information request, August 2025.
72 Oranga Tamariki is also advocating for tamariki and rangatahi known to Oranga Tamariki to be included as a priority population for the upcoming Child and Youth Mental Health Study being developed by the Ministry of Health.
73 See (p. 16) of reference at footnote 58.
74 Public specialist mental health services prioritise tamariki and rangatahi with the highest needs as well as acute and urgent care needs. The government target on specialist mental health wait times uses the three-week threshold. From the analysis undertaken by Oranga Tamariki, 76 percent of tamariki and rangatahi in care accessing specialist mental health services are seen within three weeks compared to 57 percent for the general child and youth population.
75 Oranga Tamariki has advised that this group home leader may have misunderstood where the crisis team is based and could have been referring to public mental health services. Oranga Tamariki has noted that its own Clinical Services team does not provide a service directly into group homes but is accessed via allocated social workers irrespective of where tamariki and rangatahi are living. We have retained this quote to demonstrate the lack of mental health support cited by kaimahi who work with tamariki and rangatahi in care.
76 Secure care at Oranga Tamariki refers to a high-level intervention for tamariki and rangatahi who may pose a risk to themselves or others. It is characterised by containment in a residence with locked doors and close surveillance intended to prevent absconding or harmful behaviours.
77 Section 333 of the Oranga Tamariki Act allows the court to make it a condition of bail that a young person undergoes a psychological assessment or psychiatric examination.
78 The Ministry of Health states that “Health NZ has offered Oranga Tamariki places in the short-term for professional development programmes to upskill social workers and others employed in the fundamentals of mental health and addiction. This training is intended to support the Oranga Tamariki workforce to better support the children and young people in their care, and to identify and understand and respond appropriately.” Ministry of Health progress on actions in response to Aroturuki Tamariki reports. Correspondence dated 29 August 2025.
79 Oranga Tamariki states that completed work includes: the establishment of mental health liaison roles where a social worker is placed within the three child and youth mental health inpatient units in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch; the establishment of dedicated ICAMHS specialist mental health roles in Oranga Tamariki care and protection residences; and the implementation of Te Puna Oranga (holistic wellbeing) social work assessments and related practice tools to Oranga Tamariki social workers. The last point is referred to in Part 1 of this report.
80 When measuring whether any concerns about a child’s educational progress were raised in 2024/25, the overall rate was 30 percent but the disabled rate was 41 percent (23 percent for non-disabled tamariki and rangatahi). When measuring whether actions were taken to address these concerns, the overall rate was 77 percent but the disabled rate was 83 percent (70 percent for non-disabled tamariki and rangatahi).
81 Upston, L. (2025, September 3). Improved support for disabled New Zealanders. beehive.govt.nz/release/improved-support-disabled-new-zealanders
82 Te Ihuwaka ǀ Education Evaluation Centre. (2025). Back to class: How are attitudes to attendance changing? (p. 3). Education Review Office. evidence.ero.govt.nz/media/zmjplx51/back-to-class-how-are-attitudes-to-attendance-changing-research-report.pdf
83 See (p. 15) of reference at footnote 82.
84 See (p. 16) of reference at footnote 82.
85 Oranga Tamariki. (2024). The education experiences and needs of children and young people in care or youth justice: Oranga Tamariki Action Plan – In-depth needs assessment (p. 2). orangatamarikiactionplan.govt.nz/assets/Action-Plan/Uploads/Understanding-need/Education-in-care/WITH-REDACTIONS-REP-OT-22-10-0718-The-education-experiences-and-needs-of-children-and-young-people-27-10-22-_Redacted.pdf
86 Uptake of emergency housing climbs steeply for young adults of all ethnicities with increased involvement with Oranga Tamariki in their childhood (and is highest for those who were in care and youth justice custody). Employment levels drop for young adults of all ethnicities with increased involvement with Oranga Tamariki in their childhood, and the rate of holding a driver licence falls for young adults of all ethnicities with increased involvement with Oranga Tamariki in their childhood.
87 The purpose of Part 3 of the Education and Training Act 2020, which deals with primary and secondary education, is to ensure that “all children and young people are present in the schooling system to be able to exercise their right to an education, including setting up fair and consistent processes when students are excluded from the system that aim to return them to education as soon as possible” (section 32(a)).
88 “Every domestic student must, during the period beginning on the student’s sixth birthday and ending on the student’s 16th birthday, be enrolled at a registered school” (section 35(1)).
89 The data published in our 2022/23 and 2023/24 Experiences of Care in AotearoaCloseAotearoa
New ZealandView the full glossary reports differs from the data provided by Oranga Tamariki this year, for the same periods, due to a change in the methodology used by Oranga Tamariki to calculate this data.
90 Data provided by Oranga Tamariki for 2024/25 does not distinguish between tamariki and rangatahi who are not enrolled and tamariki and rangatahi with no record of a school enrolment.
91 Education Counts provides a dashboard on school attendance and states that “it does not include students of compulsory school age who are not currently enrolled in any school”. educationcounts.govt.nz/statistics/daily-attendance-dashboard#view3
92 Oranga Tamariki has conducted two pieces of special case file analysis to understand the reasons for care entry. Although numbers are small, the analysis shows that “school non-attendance” was cited as one of the reasons for Oranga Tamariki bringing some tamariki and rangatahi into care in 2025. We understand that care entry is complex and we recognise that there will often be multiple reasons.
93 The 2023/24 Aroturuki Tamariki report on outcomes for tamariki and rangatahi Māori in the oranga tamariki system shows that, for Māori in care or custody, regular primary and intermediate school attendance rates were higher in 2022 than for those tamariki and rangatahi Māori with no involvement with Oranga Tamariki.
94 The same data shows that chronic absence (present for less than 70 percent of the term) was higher for primary/intermediate school students in care and custody in 2023 (10 percent) compared to those with no involvement with Oranga Tamariki (6 percent).
95 The same data shows that chronic absence (present for less than 70 percent of the term) was much higher for secondary school students in care and custody in 2023 (32 percent) compared to those with no involvement with Oranga Tamariki (12 percent).
96 Our 2022/23 and 2023/24 Experiences of Care in Aotearoa reports included many accounts of school-aged tamariki and rangatahi being unoccupied during the day with no school placement.
97 This year’s Oranga Tamariki caregiver survey also shows that support for educational needs was the most common need reported among caregivers. The top three educational support needs raised by caregivers in the survey are behavioural (28 percent), learning support (27 percent) and engaging with school (13 percent).
98 We heard this particularly in Greater Wellington in 2024/25 but we have heard this in several other regions in previous years.
99 Ministry of Education response to Aroturuki Tamariki 2023/24 Experiences of Care in Aotearoa report, February 2025. aroturuki.govt.nz/assets/Reports/EOCR2324/MoE-Response-to-EoCA-2023-24.pdf
100 The NCS Regulations state that, where a dispute arises about enrolment at any particular school, the chief executive of Oranga Tamariki “must take steps to resolve the dispute, including, where necessary, bringing legal proceedings” (regulation 38(2)).
101 The Ministry states it is steward of the education system (which includes the provision of the education network across the country), with a purpose the deliver equitable and excellent outcomes. Ministry of Education. (2024). Strategic intentions 2025–2029. education.govt.nz/our-work/publications/corporate-documents/strategic-intentions
102 Oranga Tamariki spent $8.8 million on education-related costs in 2023/24, including $3.3 million on teacher aides/assistance.
103 This sentiment is shared by former Chief Ombudsman Judge Peter Boshier. “And so I think a really important point I want to make is that when the state - often compulsorily - assumes care of someone, it’s got a profound duty of care. So I want agencies to demonstrate change and improvement, and that is something I know the public looks to the Ombudsman for. The reason I found the job of Chief Ombudsman so important is because of this huge duty the state has, when the state assumes care, to get it right.” Penfold, P. (2025, October 25). ‘He begged for pain relief’: The story behind the boy failed by his carers before he died. stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360865704/he-begged-pain-relief-story-boy-failed-his-carers-he-died
104 WellStop is an NGO working to eliminate harmful sexual behaviour.
105 Note this is a different measure from Oranga Tamariki lead indicator 4, which measures the proportion of tamariki and rangatahi whose needs related to whānau connection are identified and addressed in their plan (85 percent in 2024/25).
106 85 percent of tamariki and rangatahi Māori were provided (either directly or through caregivers and/or whānau) with support to establish and maintain whānau connection. This compares with 91 percent of tamariki and rangatahi who are not Māori.
107 Correspondence from the Department of Corrections, 28 November 2025.
108 See (p. 109) of reference at footnote 34.