May 26, 2014
Kahungunu to sign pact with CYFS
Hawkes Bay and Wairarapa iwi Ngati Kahungunu wants to take more responsibility for its tamariki in state care.
On Thursday it’s signing a memorandum of understanding with Child, Youth and Family.
Jenny Smith, the director of the iwi’s Te Ara Toiora Unit, says it wants to place all children of Kahungunu descent who are in CYFs care outside the Kahungunu region with extended whanau in the rohe.
It also wants to ensure that initiatives and strategies by government agencies such as the Ministry of Social Development are focused on the care and wellbeing of whanau and hapu.
At the moment, almost half of Ngati Kahungunu tamariki and rangatahi in CYFS care are placed with whanau.
This is the fourth MoU of its kind to be signed, after Ngati Porou, Ngapuhi and Waikato-Tainui.
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