Gráinne's update - April 18

We’re one year on from the formation of Oranga Tamariki.

Our promise is to listen to our children and young people and create sustainable change. We know that change needs to occur for a number of years.

I’m pleased with what we’ve achieved so far. As I said in a recent interview, “I think the school report would say good start, shows promise, lots more work to do.”

We’ve done a whole lot of learning, listening and evaluating. We are also taking action and making a difference. In the last year, feedback from children to us has increased dramatically, there are more front line social workers than there were a year ago, and more loving homes have been found.

However we all know how complex this landscape is. We’re up against some big challenges and there is so much to do.

In some cases we’ve needed to take a step back to put the right measures in place to ensure a brighter future for children. For example we know we need more caregivers, but first we’re working to make sure the caregivers we do have are being well supported.

In other areas we’re forging ahead - building strong partnerships, engaging New Zealanders, and working to an improved practice framework.

To all our partners, providers, connections and friends – thank you for being part of our journey.

Whether you’re the owner of an early childhood centre supporting a whānau through a tough time, or a community service social worker helping a young person find their identity, we can only achieve our vision for better outcomes for our children together.

It will take time to unite society and engage communities to make the difference every day for our children.

The truth is our work will never be done and we’ll always try to do better, listening to the voices of children and holding ourselves to account. For now, we’ve got a strong foundation for growth and achievement, and we can start accelerating.

Ngā mihi

Gráinne