Oranga Tamariki has admitted multiple failings at the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.
The ministry says the state did not stop abuse and did not meet the basic needs of youth, between 1950 and 1999.
Chappie Te Kani (Ngāti Porou, Te Aitanga a Mahaki, Tūhoe, Ngāti Maniapoto, Rongowhakaata) became Oranga Tamariki chief executive last year.
He acknowledges historically, children had been abused by caregivers, staff and other state wards - emotionally, physically and sexually.
Te Kani says the state did not believe reports of abuse sometimes, or follow them up.
"This means there were incidents that were not appropriately investigated, which contributed to a lack of accountability for those perpetrators, and an increased risk of abuse and other forms of harm continuing or reoccurring. This failure also added to the trauma already suffered."
The care system did not meet children's basic needs, especially those with mental health problems and disabilities, Pāsifika, and tangata whenua, he says.
"I acknowledge that the care and protection system between 1950 and 1999 failed to consistently and meaningfully ensure the cultural needs of tamariki Māori were met."
Oranga Tamariki also concedes, because of poor data collection, the true number of Pāsifika and Māori who have been in state care wil never be known.
The ministry's chief social worker, Peter Whitcombe, acknowledges there has been repeated reviews into Oranga Tamariki's problems.
"We have not gone far enough yet and have certainly not fulfilled the aspiration and intent of Puao-te-Ata-Tū and the Treaty obligations."
Deputy chief executive Nicolette Dickson concedes trust problems between Māori and Pākehā involved in state care, remain.
"There's certainly evidence of that occurring and continuing to occur at times."
Some evidence was met with disappointment by a survivor in the public gallery on Monday.
While the chief executive is outlining changes to transform Oranga Tamariki - there was a vocal response, calling on him to "tell the truth".
Chappie Te Kani had been telling the room the Oranga Tamariki Action Plan was "designed to achieve better outcomes for tamariki and rangatahi and whānau, empower staff to excel, enable local approaches and lead across the system".
Another survivor, Te Aroha Knox (Tainui, Ngāpuhi), was watching Monday's hearing from Nelson.
She was glad to see the state accept mistakes, but her heart remains set on the national apology and redress, the government is preparing.
"The proof is in the pudding.
"We're about recovery now."
Oranga Tamariki is giving evidence for another two days.
6 comments
Lets be honest
Posted on 23-08-2022 11:32 | By Howbradseesit
The parents failed their children first for OT to ever be involved.
Family
Posted on 23-08-2022 11:37 | By Kancho
Family failed first
Families.
Posted on 23-08-2022 13:25 | By morepork
It is hard for people in nucleic family groups to understand how hard single parenting can be. Sadly we are seeing an increasing rise in the number of broken families and it is inevitably going to reflect in our society. Traditionally, the iwi had a responsibility for the raising of a child but that also has broken down. We need to retrieve some of the good values from both systems and do better with our unsupported kids. OT did make some mistakes, but they were understandable mistakes and would never have arisen if the parents, family, and extended family, concerned had done their job.
Oranga Tamariki
Posted on 23-08-2022 16:10 | By Hugh Janis
Oranga Tamariki shouldn't exist. It is heartbreaking that we need an agency such as this due to the fact that some people (are they?) cannot raise the children they should love more than life itself.
It's almost always....
Posted on 25-08-2022 19:52 | By groutby
....someone else's fault isn't it?...we now have all sorts of such issues being blamed on someone else or another organisation without taking ACTUAL responsibility for stuffing up themselves. Money being handed out and all the support assistance necessary often offered and rarely taken up to resolve such issues...the solution?.....how about actually trying to be responsible for your offspring?...being parents isn't often easy and it shouldn't be, but...it is DAMN' rewarding when they grow to be responsible adults.....Mummies and Daddies do that bit....not a government funded agency....
@Groutby
Posted on 27-08-2022 13:23 | By morepork
You stated something I feel passionate about: parents and responsibility. What you said is 100%. I firmly believe the ONLY way we will fix youth crime is if we make parents jointly responsible. If the kids are out of control, then that needs to be recognized and addressed as well. The problem here is that there is a major decline in 2 parent families and there is also an increasing number of unwanted children (surprising in an age when contraception is cheap and available to all). It simply reflects the lack of responsibility which you noted. If we CAN'T/DON'T do something to redress this, there is little hope for a future without carnage and mayhem committed by youth. What used to be a "normal" family, with responsible kids and parents is now becoming a minority... they still exist, but the rising lunatic fringe must be stopped.
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