20 May 2024
Daniel Harding
[FYI request #26490 email]
Tēnā koe Daniel
Thank you for your email received of 20 April 2024 via the FYI site to Oranga Tamariki—
Ministry for Children (Oranga Tamariki) requesting information regarding specific impacts
of legislative actions. Your request has been considered under the Official Information
Act 1982 (the Act).
I have addressed each of your questions below.
(a)
Please provide any available statistics or data on the number of Māori children
affected by what has been referred to as "reverse uplifts". This includes the
number of cases identified annually where children were removed from homes
deemed "loving" due to racial or ethnic considerations of the carers.
(b)
Copies of any internal communications, studies, or reports that discuss the
rationale behind the removal of s7AA in relation to preventing the
traumatisation of Māori children through these reverse uplifts.
(c)
Any documented definitions or operational guidelines that describe what
constitutes a “reverse uplift”.
Publicly, the term ‘reverse uplift’ has come to mean a child being removed from the long-
term care of unrelated caregivers and returned to the care of whānau. However, Oranga
Tamariki does not use the term ‘reverse uplifts’. This is not a term that is recognised within
the Oranga Tamariki Act, and we do not hold structured quantifiable data on the number
of cases where this occurs.
If te tamaiti is unable to have their long-term care needs met by their parents or usual
carers, we work proactively and closely in partnership with te tamaiti and their family,
whānau, hapū, iwi and family group to establish safe, stable and loving permanent care
for them. Whilst we cannot provide the information you have requested, it may be helpful
to refer to our policy
ensuring a safe stable and loving home for children in care, here, which guides how decisions are made about the long term care of children in the custody
of the Chief Executive of Oranga Tamariki.
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Therefore, this part of your request is refused under section 18(e) of the Act as the
information requested does not exist.
(d)
Please provide details of any assessments, including risk assessments or
impact studies, conducted before proposing the removal of s7AA. This should
include how these policies were expected to change the outcomes of Māori
children in state care.
Oranga Tamariki have recently released the Regulatory Impact Statement – repeal of
section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989. You can find this on our website
here.
(e)
Information on consultation held with Māori communities or child welfare
experts regarding the impact of removing s7AA on Māori children.
We have located one document in scope of this part of your request.
•
2024 04 17 Combined meeting notes (notes of a discussion between the Minister
for Children, Oranga Tamariki staff and strategic partners).
We are refusing this part of your request under section 18(d) of the Act as the information
is or will soon be publicly available on the Oranga Tamariki website.
Oranga Tamariki may make the information contained in this letter available to the public
by publishing this on our website with your personal details removed.
I trust you find this information useful. Should you have any concerns with this response,
I would encourage you to raise them with Oranga Tamariki. Alternatively, you are advised
of your right to also raise any concerns with the Office of the Ombudsman. Information
about this is available a
t www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or by contacting them on 0800
802 602.
Nāku noa, nā
Phil Grady
Deputy Chief Executive
System Leadership
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