Safety of Children in Care

Since 2010, we have been reporting on the harm experienced by tamariki or children in our care. How we’ve done this has evolved over time.

Oranga Tamariki has worked with an Expert Measurement Group to develop a new approach which will allow us to identify harm of tamariki or children in care across all care settings earlier, and help ensure that we are providing safe and consistent responses to our most vulnerable children.

The harm reported on includes four types of abuse – physical, sexual, emotional and neglect.

Reporting covers findings of harm for all categories of people who caused harm to children or tamariki, not only caregivers.

Our Safety of Children in Care Unit will have visibility, in real time, to review cases where harm has been found.

This provides us with greater confidence that we have done everything we can to ensure the immediate and longer term safety of children in our care.  

It allows us to better understand the underlying risk factors for tamariki or children in care; helping inform how we go about improving our practice, our support, and the services we need to provide for tamariki in care and their caregivers.

Oranga Tamariki reports on:

• the number and percentage of children and young people in care with findings of harm
• a breakdown of these numbers by placement type and by type of person who caused the harm
• the actions taken to secure the immediate safety of tamariki or children and the plans put in place to address the impact of the harm experienced
• the actions taken against the person who caused the harm.