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Ngāi Tahu wants to play a greater role in the care and protection of tamariki and rangatahi.
Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Arihia Bennett says a strategic partnership with the new Children's Ministry Oranga Tamariki will give it visibility into who is in care, and allow it to make the whakapapa links to reconnect those children with whānau.
The former social worker says she is familiar with the complexities of finding suitable caregivers, and believes the partnership will allow both sides to build capacity.
"The crux of this has to be where the department can make those connections into the communities and the regions and work face to face and work in a way that is understanding and respectful so that we do enable our tamariki and our rangatahi to be cared for within Ngāi Tahu whānau," Ms Bennett says.
Ngāi Tahu objectives will be met when there are no Ngāi Tahu tamariki or rangatahi in state care.
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