May 10, 2019
Oranga Tamariki says safety first for pepi uplift
Oranga Tamariki has defended its attempts to uplift a baby from Hawkes Bay Hospital over the objections of whānau and midwives.
East Coast regional manager Te Pare Meihana says the social worker involved has significant connections to the whānau and has been working with them for years.
He says the agency was working intensively with the mother for months beforehand, and for the last month she’s been living in a teen parent home.
The team working with mother and baby were relentless about the best cultural approach.
Most of the social workers were Māori, and all experienced social workers, some who had been working in the profession for 30 years.
Mr Mason says Oranga Tamariki’s approach is flexible and responsive to the situation and it is giving the mother space while working with its partners and whānau to keep this baby safe.
He says it only takes a moment to harm a baby, and as a community we must keep children safe.
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