Part 3: Assessments, plans and support for caregivers

Fewer tamarikiClosetamariki
Children (plural) aged 0-13 yearsView the full glossary and rangatahiCloserangatahi
Young person aged 14 – 21 years of ageView the full glossary were placed with an approved caregiver

There are four different approval types for Oranga Tamariki caregivers:

• Fully approved – these caregivers have completed the approval process and been accepted as an Oranga Tamariki caregiver.
• Provisionally approved – these caregivers have had checks of their suitability to be a caregiver completed but are yet to complete the full approval process.
• Unapproved (category A) – these caregivers have completed the approval process and have been declined as an Oranga Tamariki caregiver.
• Unapproved (category B) – these caregivers have not completed the caregiver approval process. Their suitability to be an Oranga Tamariki caregiver and any potential risks for tamariki in their care is unknown.

Compliance with placing tamariki and rangatahi with an approved caregiver during the reporting period dropped. Approved caregivers include both fully approved and provisionally approved caregivers.

Around a third of tamariki and rangatahi are placed with caregivers who have not been approved

Our 2023/24 Experiences of Care in AotearoaCloseAotearoa
New ZealandView the full glossary report noted that a higher proportion of tamariki and rangatahi were being placed with approved caregivers than in previous years. However, data provided by Oranga Tamariki for this report shows that the increase has not been sustained. The proportion of tamariki and rangatahi placed with a caregiver who had been assessed (either provisionally or fully) at the time of placement has dropped back to around two-thirds of tamariki and rangatahi. This means that around a third of tamariki and rangatahi are in placements with caregivers who are unapproved. We cannot tell from the data the proportion of tamariki and rangatahi who were placed with caregivers who have been declined by Oranga Tamariki (category A) or the proportion who have not completed the caregiver process (category B).

Oranga Tamariki told us that this lead indicator is primarily influenced by the number of 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 offering care for tamariki over the review period. Whānau are unlikely to be pre-approved caregivers, and Oranga Tamariki will sometimes decide to place tamariki and rangatahi with whānau before the approval process is completed. The alternative would be for tamariki and rangatahi to be placed with pre-approved non-whānau caregivers, which could mean greater disruption for the young person. Oranga Tamariki also has a shortage of preapproved caregivers at present.

Oranga Tamariki told us that this lead indicator is based on a small sample cohort, which makes it susceptible to year-on-year variations and harder to track changes over time. It said that this lead indicator looks at tamariki in the sample who were placed with their current caregiver in the 12 months prior to the case review. For both this reporting period and the 2023/24 reporting period, Oranga Tamariki said only around 70 tamariki and rangatahi in the sample met this criterion. Because of the smaller cohort, there is a higher margin of error. Oranga Tamariki said this lead indicator data should be interpreted with caution and acknowledged that there is an issue with the ongoing inclusion of this lead indicator in its self-monitoring approach. It said it will reconsider the lead indicators ahead of next year’s reporting.

That tamariki and rangatahi are sometimes placed with caregivers who are unapproved is consistent with what we heard in our regional engagements. We heard that, despite there being a direction from the Minister for Children that no tamariki should be in unapproved placements, it still happens.

Our 2023/24 Experiences of Care in Aotearoa report noted that Oranga Tamariki is prevented by its own policies from offering unapproved caregivers the same supports as approved caregivers. This includes board payments, clothing allowance and pocket money. Instead, Oranga Tamariki provides vouchers to these caregivers. We noted that the provision of vouchers is at the discretion of the site and what these caregivers receive in vouchers may not be equivalent value to what approved caregivers would receive in supports. This affects more whānau caregivers than non-whānau caregivers and creates additional work for site kaimahi who need to arrange vouchers for unapproved caregivers.

Data from Oranga Tamariki shows that 17 percent of placements in 2024/25 were with provisionally approved caregivers. Provisional approval applies in urgent situations when emergency action is being taken, it is unsafe or the tamariki and rangatahi are unable to continue living where they have been and an identified whānau member or someone known to the tamariki and rangatahi is able to provide immediate and safe care. Before a provisional approval can be granted, suitability checks must be completed, including police vetting and CYRAS checks. A full assessment must also be carried out as soon as practicable. Data from Oranga Tamariki shows that, of caregivers who were provisionally approved at the time tamariki and rangatahi were placed with them, around a quarter (23 percent) were fully approved within 30 business days following placement. Just under half (43 percent) took 31–60 business days and around a third (34 percent) took more than 60 business days.

Oranga Tamariki told us it reviewed its policy on provisional approval of caregivers to align with its operational delegations, and the policy is now more flexible. In particular, it said it can now provisionally approve caregivers who have higher levels of past offending. Previously, only offences such as traffic offences could be considered for provisional approval, but now all convictions can be considered other than murder, manslaughter, rape or sexual offending against tamariki and rangatahi. Oranga Tamariki said this means more provisional assessments can be considered so children are living with whānau at the earliest opportunity.¹⁰⁹ Oranga Tamariki assured us that any offending or findings on CYRAS need to show mitigation of risk with a safety assessment as part of the provisional approval and that this must be “signed off” by the regional commissioner. It also explained that provisional approval does not guarantee full approval status once the caregiver assessment has been completed.

The NCS RegulationsCloseNCS Regulations
(National Care Standards and Related Matters) Regulations 2018 View the full glossary require that placements with provisionally approved caregivers be closely monitored until a full assessment has been completed. Data from Oranga Tamariki shows that 28 percent of provisionally approved caregivers were closely monitored during the reporting period.¹¹⁰

As outlined in Part 1 of this report, regular visits with tamariki and rangatahi and quality plans that are informed by needs assessments are crucial to meeting the needs of tamariki and rangatahi. When tamariki and rangatahi are placed with provisionally approved caregivers or unapproved caregivers, it is essential that social worker visits and plans take account of this and provide for additional opportunities to identify and address potential risk. Oranga Tamariki does not monitor whether this happens. In light of its poor compliance with requirements to closely monitor provisionally approved caregivers, we are concerned that this added assurance of safety for tamariki and rangatahi is not happening consistently.

Oranga Tamariki has a focus on caregiver approvals in its National Care Standards Action Plan. While this is largely aimed at reducing the number of tamariki and rangatahi placed with unapproved caregivers, there remains an opportunity for Oranga Tamariki to focus on improving the safety of placements more generally. We hope that a purposeful approach to this will lift compliance in future reporting periods.

Approving caregivers is a complex and lengthy process

As in previous years, we heard that the process for approving caregivers is complex and lengthy. We were told this is because of the numerous assessments and requirements that need to be met, including police checks and home visits. It is also necessary for compliance, because the NCS Regulations require numerous checks to be completed before a caregiver can be approved. In practice, this can lead to tamariki and rangatahi being placed with a caregiver before they are able to be approved, due to a lack of other options.

“I do find the process of getting people assessed and approved as caregivers is just a big issue.” ORANGA TAMARIKI KAIMAHI

A small number of caregivers who we spoke with mentioned that the process to become approved took a long time. One of the caregivers noted that the assessment process was thorough and this ensured they were adequately set up and prepared to care for the tamariki.

“I went through a vigorous process to become a caregiver. There were a lot of meetings and hours. [But] we do have a lot of support.” 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 CAREGIVER

Some kaimahi told us that, if potential caregivers have a history that includes offending, the approval process takes even longer to complete and can require a special considerations process. In these instances, the reason a caregiver is not able to be provisionally approved may not always directly relate to the safety of the tamariki while in their care. As noted above, Oranga Tamariki recently made changes to its policy on provisional approval of caregivers so that it can now provisionally approve more caregivers with a history of offending, provided it is assessed as safe for the tamariki and rangatahi in their care.

“Some [potential caregivers] have had interactions with Oranga Tamariki in the past and their application can be turned down because of what they were known for years ago. Institutional bias prohibits our whānau to move forward. Their information sits there and it is held against them. Some of it has been 40 years since they had had the run in with the police. They have never had the opportunity to grow and move forward.” ORANGA TAMARIKI KAIMAHI

“[Caregiver assessment] takes a lot of work. I know why they are there though [the assessments]. One lady had many offences, and it had been 10 years since she offended. If someone offended last week, I would say come back in a few years’ time. Assessment [is important], we have to do many checks.” ORANGA TAMARIKI KAIMAHI

The average time it takes Oranga Tamariki to approve caregivers has fluctuated over time. This year, the average approval time was 84 days. This is a reduction in time from 2023/24 when it was 101 days but still higher than in June 2023 when it was 56 days.¹¹¹

There is a shortage of pre-approved caregivers for tamariki and rangatahi with complex needs

Like every year, we heard that there is a shortage of available pre-approved caregivers. This may in part explain the decrease in the proportion of tamariki and rangatahi who are placed with approved caregivers – there are simply not enough preapproved caregivers to place tamariki and rangatahi with.

It can also mean that pre-approved caregivers are asked to provide care for multiple tamariki and rangatahi.

“I am guilty of [placing multiple tamariki with a caregiver]. I know it is not ideal and sometimes not correct. But what could we do? We have kids to place, we cannot separate siblings, we need to bring them together. The families are happy to help. [Caregivers] agree to that too, but sometimes we were left with not many options.” ORANGA TAMARIKI KAIMAHI

“I have a caregiver with eight kids in a fourbedroom house. It’s tight. There are lots of kids with different issues … We don’t have enough caregivers, and the reality is that [having eight tamariki in a four-bedroom house] is the only option to bring them together.” ORANGA TAMARIKI KAIMAHI

Overloading approved caregivers makes it difficult for them to meet the needs of all tamariki and rangatahi in their care. It can place additional strain on the caregiver and may lead to burnout. In some cases, it can lead to tamariki being harmed – something we discuss in Part 4 of this report.

A couple of CGRS kaimahi told us that care and protection social workers do not always tell them about the full needs of the tamariki and rangatahi they need to find a placement for. The CGRS kaimahi told us they thought that care and protection social workers think minimising the level of need means a caregiver is more likely to be found.

“The referrals we get, you can see [social workers] are trying to minimise the need because of the lack of caregivers.” ORANGA TAMARIKI KAIMAHI

“[Social workers] don’t put in the information because they want that placement. Because we have to protect our caregivers and our whānau, the social worker minimises the behaviour.” ORANGA TAMARIKI KAIMAHI

This aligns with what we heard from caregivers that they do not always receive full information on the needs and backgrounds of the tamariki and rangatahi coming into their care. We discuss this in more detail later in this section.

We heard that there is a particular shortage of caregivers able to care for tamariki with more complex needs and disabilities and that tamariki and rangatahi with more complex needs are more likely to be placed in group homes or motels because of this. However, we also heard that group home kaimahi are not always trained to provide the level of care that tamariki and rangatahi with complex needs or disabilities require.

“We have disabled kids in our custody. The biggest issue we have there is that we don’t have trained caregivers as such.” ORANGA TAMARIKI SITE LEADER

“[One] kaimahi was assaulted six times by a rangatahi. Our kaimahi are not prepared to manage that behaviour, that is not included in the induction. They need to be trained in this area when tamariki become more physical. The training and the induction do not prepare them to face that behaviour, a mokopuna smashing windows, breaking doors. Our kaimahi have been trying to de-escalate and de-escalate, but [kaimahi] mental wellbeing and physical wellbeing are compromised … We finally got the support of a psychologist to support [the kaimahi] in terms of managing the high needs mokopuna … It’s about understanding their mahiClosemahi
WorkView the full glossary, on how to support the mokopuna, it’s not just teaching [tamariki] to cook their kai and to provide care, but [kamahi] are doing more than that. I think their role is completely misunderstood.” ORANGA TAMARIKI REGIONAL PLACEMENT COORDINATOR

We heard that, when caregivers don’t get the training and support they need, it can be a “terrible experience” for the caregiver and the tamariki and rangatahi and can lead to placements breaking down. Sometimes it can lead to caregivers deciding they no longer want to provide care, which further limits the available pool of pre-approved caregivers.

“We have to [provide adequate support to caregivers] as otherwise placements break down, especially with the complex tamariki. And if caregivers are not properly supported then those difficult behaviours don’t get addressed.” ORANGA TAMARIKI KAIMAHI

“It can be a challenge to have our caregivers well supported. It can break down a placement if we don’t manage it well.” ORANGA TAMARIKI KAIMAHI

Caregivers being unable or unwilling to continue to provide care was the primary reason for placement changes in 2024/25, with 37 percent of placement changes attributed to this. As we have noted in previous reports, disruptions in placements have been found to have negative psychological, social and educational consequences for tamariki and rangatahi.¹¹² That a third of placement changes are because caregivers are unable or unwilling to continue to provide care suggests that Oranga Tamariki needs to do more to ensure caregivers are adequately supported to meet the needs of tamariki and rangatahi with complex needs. This is critical to achieving good outcomes.

The lack of caregivers makes it harder to access respite, particularly for caregivers of tamariki and rangatahi with more complex needs

The lack of available caregivers impacts on respite and means that sometimes caregivers who need it cannot get breaks. In our regional engagements, we heard that there is not enough funding for respite, particularly for caregivers of tamariki and rangatahi with more complex needs or disabilities. We also heard that it can be difficult to find respite caregivers for rangatahi on remand.

“The whānau caregiver needs a break especially with [high and complex needs] kids and they need specialist respite. I have queried what that [respite] looks like, and they respond ‘Oh no, [respite provider] can’t do it’.” ORANGA TAMARIKI REGIONAL LEADER

“One caregiver it was hard to get respite for a young man, hard to get caregivers that will provide respite for young people.” ORANGA TAMARIKI KAIMAHI

“The other thing that is really missing is respite care. We only have one respite place in Tauranga and the waitlist is one year.” HEALTH KAIMAHI

The 2024 Oranga Tamariki caregiver survey asked about access to respite and how often caregivers had taken respite. The results of the survey show that around half of caregivers are able to access some respite – 51 percent of whānau caregivers who responded to the survey and 60 percent of non-whānau caregivers reported that respite was available more than half of the time they needed it. Of the caregivers who said they had taken respite in the 12 months prior to the survey, almost a quarter (22 percent) had taken more than 20 days respite. A further 11 percent had taken 15–20 days and another 12 percent had taken 10–15 days.

Motel use increased again this year

As noted in the Care settings section at the start of this report, motels are intended to be used as a placement of last resort. The need to use motels as placements arises when Oranga Tamariki is not able to find another suitable placement – either in the community or a residential setting. While it is intended as a last resort in emergency situations for a short time, the data shows that some tamariki and rangatahi are placed in motels for significant periods and that motel use is increasing with more tamariki and rangatahi placed into motels and for longer.

More tamariki and rangatahi are being placed in motels, and for longer

Caregivers are more likely to have a plan that sets out actions to meet needs

Caregivers are more likely to have a plan

Data shows a continued increase in the proportion of caregivers with a plan that sets out actions that will be taken to meet the caregiver’s needs. There was also a slight increase this year in how often actions in the caregiver support plan were being carried out.

Oranga Tamariki prioritised improving support for caregivers in response to our 2022/23 Experiences of Care in Aotearoa report, and this suggests that its efforts may be leading to improved compliance.

However, case file analysis by Oranga Tamariki shows that compliance with most aspects of caregiver plans this year was consistent with 2023/24 and neither improved nor deteriorated. This included across access to training, financial assistance, respite and advice and assistance.

Caregivers are positive about their relationships with their social workers but less positive about Oranga Tamariki as an organisation

The 2024 Oranga Tamariki caregiver survey showed that satisfaction with caregiver social workers remained consistent with the findings from last year’s survey. Around three-quarters of caregivers who responded to the survey said they were satisfied with how their social worker supports them.

This year, there was a statistically significant increase in the proportion of caregivers visited at the frequency in their plan. This suggests that meeting this requirement may have been prioritised within Oranga Tamariki. However, overall compliance with visiting caregivers remains low, with just over half of caregivers visited as often as they are meant to be.

The proportion of caregivers visited at the planned frequency increased this year

The Oranga Tamariki 2024/25 Compliance with National Care Standards report states that, of those caregivers with support plans, 96 percent of those plans set out the frequency that caregivers should be visited. ¹¹⁵

However, data from Oranga Tamariki confirms that, for most caregivers, there was evidence that their social worker contacted them by other means such as calling, emailing or texting either monthly (34 percent) or at least every two months (32 percent). For 2 percent of caregivers, there was no evidence that their social worker had contacted them by other means.

Some Oranga Tamariki CGRS kaimahi told us it is difficult for them to visit caregivers as often as they are supposed to because they have large caseloads, and some cases are complex and require more of their time and attention.

This year, data provided by Oranga Tamariki shows that the average caseload for caregiver social workers was 21.2 caregivers. This is slightly higher than the average of 18.8 that we reported in 2023/24 but still in line with the protocol agreed with the Public Service Association and National Union of Public Employees. That protocol defines a high caseload for caregiver social workers as 30 or more caregivers. Oranga Tamariki told us that four caregiver social workers were holding caseloads above the high caseload threshold as at 30 June 2025.

A small number of caregivers told us they didn’t see their caregiver social worker regularly or their social worker was not responsive.

“Took me a long time to find out there was such a thing as a caregiver social worker. I didn’t have that for a long time.” NON-WHĀNAU CAREGIVER

“[Oranga Tamariki] say I’ll get back to you and they don’t. Must be a hard job though and it is frustrating.” NON-WHĀNAU CAREGIVER

 An equally small number of caregivers told us they had regular contact with their caregiver social worker either through visits or calls and that their social worker was accessible and responsive.

“My social worker, she’s really great. She checks in to make sure I’m okay especially around having the boys. She checks in on my week, says hope I enjoyed my week.” NON-WHĀNAU CAREGIVER

“If there is something not quite right then [we] will ring [the caregiver social worker] and get the support.” NON-WHĀNAU CAREGIVER

Despite what appear to be positive results, caregivers are less satisfied this year

Findings from the 2024 Oranga Tamariki caregiver survey show that overall caregiver satisfaction dropped this year. Fewer than half of caregivers reported that they were satisfied or very satisfied with the support they receive from Oranga Tamariki. Whānau caregivers were more likely to be satisfied or very satisfied (48 percent) than nonwhānau caregivers (43 percent). The proportion of caregivers who said they were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied stayed the same at around 20 percent of all caregivers.

We note that the 2024 Oranga Tamariki caregiver survey was carried out differently this year. It was conducted in-house by Oranga Tamariki, rather than contracted out, and was sent to caregivers by email only rather than using both email and phone calls as in previous years. It is possible that changes to the methodology have influenced some results.

Preparing caregivers to support tamariki and rangatahi may have improved

In 2024, the caregiver survey results show there was a noticeable improvement in new caregivers feeling satisfied or very satisfied with how Oranga Tamariki prepared them to be caregivers. Nonwhānau caregivers were more likely to say they felt very prepared (67 percent) than whānau caregivers (55 percent), but both were an increase on the 53 percent of caregivers overall who said they felt very prepared in the previous survey.¹¹⁶

The 2024 survey identified that two-thirds of nonwhānau caregivers and just over a half of whānau caregivers had seen or received a copy of the All About Me plan for the tamariki in their care. However, whānau caregivers were three times more likely than non-whānau caregivers to be unsure whether they had seen or received a copy of the All About Me plan.

In our regional engagements this year, we again heard that caregivers felt they were not provided with enough information about the needs and background of the tamariki and rangatahi coming into their care.

“When kids are in your care [and there’s] no All About Me plan or exploration into his behaviour, [it’s not right].” WHĀNAU CAREGIVER

“We had no knowledge of [rangatahi] background. She was basically just handed over.” NON-WHĀNAU CAREGIVER

“I understand there’s a history for a child and confidentiality, but at the same time, if they are in our care, it helps to know them and their background.” NON-WHĀNAU CAREGIVER

“We got told about [child’s] disability but got limited information around how to work with her needs … It was really rushed, especially not knowing anything or given any information. We had to do our own research on autism [to be able to work with her and her needs].” NON-WHĀNAU CAREGIVER

As noted in Part 1 of this report, under the National Care Standards Action Plan, Oranga Tamariki is prioritising having updated All About Me plans for tamariki and rangatahi in its care. Given this focus, we expect to see increased numbers of caregivers reporting having received a copy of the All About Me plan for the tamariki and rangatahi in their care in future reporting periods.

Caregivers have mixed views on financial support from Oranga Tamariki

The 2024 Oranga Tamariki caregiver survey found that just under half of the caregivers who responded, both whānau and non-whānau, were satisfied with the ease with which they could access reimbursements and extra payments from Oranga Tamariki. Almost 60 percent of caregivers, both whānau and non-whānau, said they were satisfied with the time it takes to receive reimbursements and extra payments from Oranga Tamariki.

Some caregivers who responded to the Oranga Tamariki caregiver survey cited positive support from Oranga Tamariki, including training and financial assistance, as reasons they would recommend caregiving to others. Overall, just under half of non-whānau caregivers (47 percent) and just over a third of whānau caregivers (36 percent) who responded to the survey said they would recommend caregiving to others.

However, in our regional engagements, we heard about a lack of financial support for caregivers. Both caregivers and Oranga Tamariki kaimahi told us financial support is not always available when caregivers need it. We also heard getting reimbursed for expenses can be difficult for caregivers.

Oranga Tamariki social workers said that not being able to provide caregivers with financial support when they need it impacts on their relationships with caregivers. We also heard that it makes recruiting caregivers difficult.

Not enough financial assistance to adequately meet the needs of tamariki and rangatahi with diverse needs was cited by some caregivers who responded to the Oranga Tamariki caregiver survey as a reason they would not recommend caregiving. Of the caregivers who responded to the survey, 22 percent of non-whānau caregivers and 16 percent of whānau caregivers indicated they were thinking of stopping being a caregiver.

“The financial impact [is that] we’re meant to provide for [caregivers], but because of the government, there is no money and this affects our caregivers.” ORANGA TAMARIKI KAIMAHI

“[Caregivers] have to go somewhere else. We have to observe [if the] caregiver needs it. We need money for groceries – I used to take a credit card, and now I can’t. Now [I’m] not allowed to. We have to apply for a purchase order, and if it does [get approved], it has to come out in the caregiver’s board payment.” ORANGA TAMARIKI KAIMAHI

“Sometimes our board payments don’t arrive. We got part of a board payment. I rang and [Oranga Tamariki] said at least you got some of it. We’ve got bills and food shopping too. That happens a lot.” FAMILY HOME CAREGIVER

“A girl we care [for] regularly had her dental appointment, but it got cancelled. We managed to find another dentist. Nana had to pay and went to Oranga Tamariki to be reimbursed, but that was a struggle.” NON-WHĀNAU CAREGIVER

We heard that the lack of financial support had been exacerbated by a change in delegations within Oranga Tamariki. In particular, we heard site managers no longer have the authority to approve funding and financial approvals now need to be signed off by deputy chief executives.

“The delegations for [approval of higher fostercare allowance] now sits with two [deputy chief executives].” ORANGA TAMARIKI REGIONAL LEADER

Oranga Tamariki clarified that, for a period, approval of higher fostercare allowance sat with deputy chief executives but that this now sits with national commissioners. It also told us that the standard rates of fostercare allowance,¹¹⁷ travel expenses and support and costs associated with a child’s plan remain with site managers and have not changed during the reporting period.

“We have a caregiver with two little tamariki, and we supported her to get a fence built and it cost $6,000 and we’re still waiting to hear – it’s been six months. I’ve followed it up right to the [deputy chief executive] and still nothing. Going through all the hoops because our site manager doesn’t have the authority to approve the fence, but he can approve the same amount for a psych assessment.” ORANGA TAMARIKI SITE LEADER

Caregivers want more training but are not always able to access it

The 2024 Oranga Tamariki caregiver survey identified that caregivers want more training, with training on trauma identified most often by caregivers, followed by disability training and deescalation techniques.

In our regional engagements, we also heard that caregivers want more training but that training was not always accessible. Like the caregiver survey, we heard that training around disability and traumarelated behaviour was something that caregivers felt would help them to meet the needs of the tamariki and rangatahi in their care.

“[Child] showed signs of trauma and she screamed in the care that she was previously in. If someone comes in that she doesn’t know at preschool, she freaks out. Training around this would have been good.” WHĀNAU CAREGIVER

Some Oranga Tamariki CGRS kaimahi told us that the training for caregivers requires a significant time commitment. They said sometimes the training that is offered conflicts with other responsibilities of caregivers, including work and caregiving itself, and this is a barrier to accessing training.

“The training for caregivers, those things take time, and our caregivers are short on time. The training is usually in the evening, because it is impossible to hold this [training] during the day. [Caregivers] are too busy during the day for any training. If a caregiver has lots of kids to look after and if one [kid] wakes up [during evening training], that would be so difficult for them. There should be lots of options [to choose from] to make [themselves] available for the training.” ORANGA TAMARIKI KAIMAHI

“It’s the time that it takes the training, you know, when you’ve got everyday life, you have kids, it’s hard to make time to look after yourself and the trainings.” ORANGA TAMARIKI KAIMAHI

The caregivers who told us they had accessed training spoke positively about the impact of this for them in their caregiving roles. The Puāwai programme delivered by Caring Families Aotearoa was mentioned as particularly valuable.

“There’s a Caring Families programme, Puāwai, that talks about how to support children with disabilities, so we’re learning more and more and it’s fantastic.” NON-WHĀNAU CAREGIVER

“The other [course] we got sent on was Puāwai [foster carer course] for dealing with children who come into your care, managing your response and behaviour, not escalating situations and why a child might act one way. It’s all about trauma informed practice.” FAMILY HOME CAREGIVER

Data from Oranga Tamariki shows that 713 whānau caregivers, 339 other caregivers completed National Care Standards training and/or Prepare to Care training over the reporting period. The Prepare to Care training is a mandatory component of the full assessment process for caregivers and contains elements of the National Care Standards training.

In addition, Oranga Tamariki has committed to delivering fetal alcohol spectrum disorder learning resources to both social workers and caregivers under the cross-government Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Action Plan 2025–2028. ¹¹⁸

More recently, the Government announced it was prioritising support for caregivers and encouraging more people to become caregivers

In August 2025, the Minister for Children announced that the Government was improving support for caregivers to make it easier both to become a caregiver and for existing and new caregivers to receive the support they need.¹¹⁹ The changes include:

• establishing a Caregiver Panel – to ensure caregivers have a strong voice in the services and supports provided to them
• better onboarding of new caregivers by providing more information and guidance during the start of their caregiving journey
• increasing the number of learning modules available to Oranga Tamariki caregivers provided by Caring Families Aotearoa
• improving the approval process for caregivers and ensuring caregivers are fully approved before tamariki and rangatahi are placed in their care
• changing relevant caregiver policies and guidelines to ensure that safe and loving homes are prioritised over other considerations.

Some of these changes speak to issues we have raised over successive reports such as the accessibility of training, the lengthy and complex approval process and placement of tamariki and rangatahi with unapproved caregivers. We will be looking at how these changes are being implemented and whether they are resulting in better support for caregivers as part of our ongoing monitoring and will report on what we learn in our future reports.

109 The Oranga Tamariki Safety of Children in Care report is appended to the organisation’s 2024/25 annual report published in October 2025. orangatamariki.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/About-us/Corporate-reports/Annual-Report/Annual-Report-2024-2025.pdf
110 Oranga Tamariki has changed the data source for this measure and data for 2022/23 and 2023/24 are not fully comparable with data for 2024/25. Data for 2024/25 was measured from January 2025.
111 The average time for 2024/25 was provided in response to our data request. The data for previous years is recorded in the Oranga Tamariki annual report 2023/24 (p. 58). orangatamariki.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/About-us/Corporate-reports/Annual-Report/Annual-Report-2023-2024.pdf
112 Stenason, L., & Romano, E. (2023). Number of placement changes among young people in care: Youth and caregiver associations. Children and Youth Services Review, 144, 10637. doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2022.106737
113 2022/23 data was taken from our 2023/24 Experiences of Care in AotearoaCloseAotearoa
New ZealandView the full glossary report.
114 2023/24 figures differ from our previous reporting due to changes in the data extracted and provided by Oranga Tamariki.
115 See (p. 111) of reference at footnote 34.
116 In 2024, the measure was whether caregivers felt ‘prepared or very prepared’. In 2025, this measure was rephrased to ‘very prepared or extremely well prepared’.
117 Oranga Tamariki told us that this rate applies to more than 90 percent of caregivers.
118 See (p. 136) of reference at footnote 109.
119 Chhour, K. (2025, August 13). Improving support, encouraging new caregivers. beehive.govt.nz/release/improving-support-encouraging-new-caregivers