Our work to support children and young people in Aotearoa

All over the world, we have worked with organisations and governments to impact law changes and policy amendments to better support children in need. We now play a key role in bringing local organisations together in New Zealand.

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Our work in Aotearoa New Zealand

We’re fighting injustice and conducting important research

The New Zealand care system has failed to deliver positive outcomes for children and young people for many years. A Royal Commission of enquiry has recently labelled the system a monumental “tax payer-funded investment failure”. Now, we are combining global experience with local partnerships, ensuring that our work is culturally informed, but backed up by success and research from around the world.

Our programme in New Zealand is continuously developing. Here’s what we’re working on:

Currently:

The Strengthening Kinship Care in Aotearoa Research Project

In New Zealand, barely any research on kinship care exists. That’s about to change. Kinship care should be the first option to explore when children cannot live with their parents or tragedy hits a family.

Too many tamariki in Aotearoa end up in state care, when they have the right to stay with close family, kin or community instead. At the same time, the child protection system is marked by high rates of abuse, and too many children end up harmed and disconnected from their culture and roots.

Everybody has been coming together for this research – Māori and Pacific community leaders, experts and our partner NGO’s. Led by Dr. Michelle Egan-Bitran and Dr. Braden Clark, and with our board of advisors, we are collecting the data we need. Watch this space.

Read about the project

Up against harmful laws:

We opposed the repeal of section 7AA in the Oranga Tamariki Act

This proposed law change is threatening the rights and protection of rangatahi and tamariki Māori. We’re stopping it.

Our submission

Amplifying children’s voices:

Our Virtual Gallery amplifies the voices of care-experienced youth

We’ve created an interactive virtual space for care-experienced tamariki and rangatahi to have their voices heard.

Take a look here

Up against harmful laws:

We called to stop the proposed Ram Raid Bill in Aotearoa New Zealand

As part of a collective, we rallied the government to abandon the proposed Ram Raid Bill, which will cause harm.

Our actions

Past:

The Tick 4 Kids campaign helped voters choose care reform in the election

In the last election, we worked with political parties to help them show and collect their actions for children.

Tick 4 Kids

Past:

The Take Action For Tamariki webinar highlighted care reform

We rallied local politicians, media and organisations to highlight which policies best support vulnerable children.

Watch the webinar

Past:

Championing Māori-led approaches to care in our How We Care series

In our research work, we share successful care practices from around the world and from New Zealand, too.

The Flaxbush Model

We also work to champion local approaches to care, and share them globally

As a global network of local organisations, we gather our collective knowledge, expertise and successful approaches to care. Over the years, we have released an extensive multimedia library of research, guidance papers and podcasts that help organisations around the world do their best possible work to support vulnerable children and families. We also share our findings on a global scale, as we have consultative status at the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

In our research, we’ve championed some of New Zealand’s strongest changemakers for children, and forged new connections to improve the way children receive support. Have a look at some examples below!