Hands Off Our Tamariki support the call for a change of leadership at the Ministry for Children

Paora Moyle

Hands Off Our Tamariki support the call for a change of leadership at the Ministry for Children

Hands Off Our Tamariki support the call for the removal of the CEO of the Ministry for Children, Grainne Moss, and the Children’s Minister Tracey Martin following the release of another damning report into Oranga Tamariki.

“We applaud the ongoing work of Whānau Ora Commissioning Agencies, Te Putahitanga and Te Pou Matakana and the Children's Commissioner, who continue to voice the needs of tamariki and mokopuna within the context of whānau,” says Paora Moyle, spokesperson for Hands Off Our Tamariki.

“However recent comments by Grainne Moss and the continued acceptance of such statements as valid by Minister Tracey Martin indicates a high level of incompetence.”

“The latest report provides yet another critical perspective on the importance and urgency of a whānau and Kaupapa Māori approach. For Moss to make statements that such an insightful report remains “silent on the interest of their babies” is both appalling and ignorant.” says Moyle.

The Hands Off Our Tamariki network, which includes a number of Kaupapa Māori qualitative researchers, also reject Moss’s critique of the methodology of the report.

“Within Kaupapa Māori qualitative research the focus is on the themes raised and the consistency of those themes. It is not about sample size, it is about listening to the voices of whānau.” says Leonie Pihama, a Kaupapa Māori researcher and member of Hands Off Our Tamariki.

Hands Off Our Tamariki have called for the removal of Grainne Moss for a number of years.

“Successive reports have highlighted her inability to make change within a system that continues to fail whānau Māori. Māori have called for change to what is a racist system of child removal for over 30 years.”

“We reject the view of the Prime Minister that Tracey Martin and Grainne Moss are not responsible, or that the issue does not lie with individuals. It is the role and obligation of the CEO and the Minister to make the changes required to ensure the wellbeing of tamariki, mokopuna and whānau.”

“We need a CEO and Minister who will prioritise a meaningful relationship grounded upon Te Tiriti o Waitangi where whānau, hapū and iwi are treated as sovereign partners with inherent Treaty rights to care for our tamariki and whānau” says Moyle.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

In 2019, a letter from Hands Off Our Tamariki garnered almost 18,000 signatures calling for systemic changes to be made and for Kaupapa Māori Whānau Ora approaches controlled by Iwi and Whānau Ora organisations to be implemented. The letter included 16 recommendations that were delivered to the government as a petition, all of which remain relevant and urgent now. Those recommendations were:

That the State stop stealing Māori children

That not one child more be removed by the State from their whakapapa context of whānau, hapū, iwi.

The affirmation of tino rangatiratanga and the right of Māori to make decisions and control the wellbeing of our tamariki and mokopuna 

That the State take responsibility for increasing State abuse of tamariki Māori

That the current system overseen by the Ministry of Children be overhauled restructured in line with Kaupapa Māori and strengths-based approaches that ensure tamariki remain connected to their whānau

That legislation and policies be co-designed with Iwi/Māori around an honourable Treaty relationship that serves the needs of whānau, hapū, iwi.

That during the restructuring of the current Ministry of Children that a Māori transition panel be put in place to oversee all of the Ministry’s activities in regards to tamariki Māori

That Māori define whānau and whakapapa within our tikanga and mātauranga to ensure the wellbeing, connectedness and care of our tamariki

That decisions regarding the wellbeing of tamariki must be made by whānau, hapū, iwi supported by Iwi and Māori organisations supporting whānau

That the recommendations of Puao-Te-Ata-Tū be revisited and an in-depth Kaupapa Māori investigation of the Ministry of Children be undertaken by Māori external to the Ministry

That the State hand over resources to hapū, iwi and Kaupapa Māori organisations to ensure the wellbeing of tamariki Māori

That successful programmes such as Mātua Whāngai be affirmed and revisited as processes by which to support Māori approaches to the wellbeing of tamariki and mokopuna.

That a long term commitment be made to support the return of te reo, tikanga and mātauranga Māori to whānau to support wellbeing for current and future generations

That Māori philosophies such as Te Aho Matua, Whare Tapa Wha, Te Wheke, and other tikanga based models be prioritised in the wellbeing of whānau

That Whānau Ora be funded to enable the full provision of services for the wellbeing of tamariki and whānau

That Iwi/Māori and the Crown work in collaboration to create a whole of Aotearoa approach to tamariki and whānau wellbeing

Dr Alison Green, a researcher at the University of Saskatchewan, whose postdoctoral research compares legislation and policy for the removal of Indigenous children from families in Aotearoa and Canada presented to the Social Services Select Committee about the need for transformative and systemic change of Oranga Tamariki.

In February 2020 the Whānau Ora Report “Ko Te Wā Whakawhiti: It’s Time for Change’ provides three key Action Point recommendations for change as follows:

Supporting whānau: Strengthening whānau capability and capacity

Structural analysis and review of Oranga Tamariki systems, policies, processes and practices

Build on the call from whānau for ‘By Māori, for Māori, with Māori’ solutions for long term sustainability

In 2015 The State of Care Report by then Children’s Commissioner, Dr Russell Wills, noted the following highlights and recommendations:

Issues of workforce capacity and capability mean practice is not consistent

Child, Youth and Family is not sufficiently child-centred

Child Youth and Family do not know if children are better off as a result of their intervention as they are not measuring outcomes reliably, and

Alongside children’s immediate safety, CYF needs to focus on improving their outcomes.

The OCC makes 53 recommendations, and summarises what needs to change as follows:

Set clear expectations about CYF’s core purpose and the outcomes it needs to achieve;

Ensure CYF is fully child-centred in all its activities;

Invest more in on-going support for children in all types of care placements;

Address capacity and capability issues across the CYF workforce;

Improve cultural capability across the organisation;

Collect and analyse relevant data to drive improved outcomes for children; and

Set clear expectations for other state agencies responsible for improving the outcomes of children in care.

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