New initiative at Oranga Tamariki Announced to Increase Transparency and Accountability

“My primary concern is ensuring Oranga Tamariki remains focused on the safety and wellbeing of children and young people in its care,” said Minister Chhour.

Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has announced a new initiative to enhance transparency and accountability at Oranga Tamariki, the agency responsible for child welfare in New Zealand. Starting from the 2024/25 financial year, Oranga Tamariki will be required to report quarterly on several key performance indicators to address growing public concerns about the agency's performance.

“My primary concern is ensuring Oranga Tamariki remains focused on the safety and wellbeing of children and young people in its care,” said Minister Chhour. “The current situation, where too many children in care experience tragic outcomes, is unacceptable and demands urgent reform.”

The new reporting requirements aim to provide greater insight into Oranga Tamariki’s operations and effectiveness. The key performance indicators to be reported include:

Frequency of Visits to Children in Care: The percentage of children who have been visited by their social worker at least once in the past eight weeks to ensure their safety and wellbeing.

Timeliness of Reports of Concern: The percentage of critical and very urgent Reports of Concern addressed within the required 24 and 48-hour timeframes, respectively.

Supporting Caregivers: Results from a rolling survey assessing caregiver support, their likelihood of recommending caregiving, and their intentions regarding continuing or stopping as caregivers.

Complaint Management: The proportion of audited complaints that were managed in accordance with Oranga Tamariki’s standards.

Addressing Youth Offending: A targeted 15 percent reduction in the number of children and young people engaged in serious and persistent offending behavior.

“These indicators are crucial for improving safety and wellbeing for children and young people in state care,” Chhour emphasized. “Accountable leadership and clear reporting are essential for driving better performance within Oranga Tamariki.”

The Minister highlighted the need for a shift in approach, noting that past failures have often led to finger-pointing and unclear accountability. The new quarterly reporting requirement is designed to foster greater responsibility and encourage improvements across the organization.