Māori Health Review: Oranga Tamariki and the Well Child Tamariki Ora review

Abstract

It is well established that Aotearoa, New Zealand has high rates of child abuse compared to other OECD (The Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development) countries. From 2007 to 2017, 12% of homicides were of tamariki (children) under 12 years of age. On average, a child dies every five weeks from family violence, ranking Aotearoa 7th highest for child homicide and 35th out of 41 OECD countries for child wellbeing outcomes. Inequities in health outcomes exist outside of child abuse as well — Māori tamariki with meningococcal disease are hospitalised at 3.5 times the rate of non-Māori, non-Pasifika children. Māori tamariki with skin infections are also hospitalised at 2–2.5 times the rate of non-Māori, non-Pasifika children. These examples serve to highlight the inequitable outcomes Māori tamariki experience in both disease and abuse. With the prevalence of child abuse, there is a corresponding amount of activity in the child protection sector. Oranga Tamariki is the branch of government that oversees care for children of the state, youth offenders, and children at risk of harm from violence. In the 12 months prior to September 2021, 5100 children were entered into the care and custody of Oranga Tamariki. Out of these children in state custody, 57% identified as Māori and a further 11% identified as both Māori and Pasifika.5 These statistics serve to demonstrate the inequitable picture that makes up child protection interventions and outcomes in Aotearoa. The conclusive evidence that we have a child abuse epidemic in our country needs to be framed in the context of its inequitable representation. It is Oranga Tamariki and its subsidiaries that are responsible for upholding the legislative duty of the New Zealand Government as the Crown partner in Te Tiriti o Waitangi (the Treaty of Waitangi) to provide equitable outcomes for Māori children and their whānau (families).