More children in care are reporting they’ve been physically, emotionally or sexually harmed, while government agencies play hot potato with vulnerable kids.
Just months after the Prime Minister apologised to those who were abused in state and faith-based care, independent monitoring shows the same problems persist in today’s care system.
A new report from the Independent Children’s Monitor shows tamariki and rangatahi in care of the state are still not receiving the minimum standards of care – and have never done so since the introduction of the current monitoring framework five years ago.
Meanwhile, the number of children and young people abused in care has increased, with 507 children (nine percent of all kids in care) found to have been abused or neglected while in Oranga Tamariki care in the 2023/24 year.
The fourth Experiences of Care in Aotearoa report, released by Aroturuki Tamariki – Independent Children’s Monitor on Wednesday, shows Oranga Tamariki (as the legal guardian of almost 99 percent of kids in care) continued to fail to meet the needs of the country’s most vulnerable children.
This was despite the Government, its agencies, and community care providers now having access to the findings of the landmark Royal Commission of Inquiry, which laid bare the horrific abuse, neglect and lifelong impacts suffered by generations of Kiwi kids.
But in the same year the final report of the royal commission was released, more than 500 children were abused or neglected while in the custody of Oranga Tamariki.
Read full article
