WAATEA NEWS COLUMN: Damning Oranga Tamariki report proves why ‘By Māori, For Māori’ works

Another month, another damning report into Oranga Tamariki, this time highlighting the terrible stain being held in State Care causes Māori.

The stats are grim.

• eight in 100 tamariki and rangatahi Māori had a report of concern made to Oranga Tamariki about their safety or wellbeing
• one in 100 spent time in the custody of Oranga Tamariki
• two in 100 rangatahi Māori aged 10-18 were subject to a police proceeding in the last year, which could result in no further action, warnings, youth referrals, alternative action plans, family group conferences (FGCs), community justice or iwi community panels, custody admission or prosecution
• one in 330 rangatahi Māori aged 10-18 had been in custody under youth justice orders.

2/3rds of all kids in state care are Māori, later in life they are 9 times more likely to need emergency housing, half as likely to be unemployed and have a higher chance of being hospitalised for self harm.

This is why 7aa was so important.

It forced Oranga Tamariki to work with Community Iwi groups before they simply uplifted Māori children. ACT removed this because they consider anything that helps Māori as ‘race based’ apartheid.

Māori are failed again and again and again by the state provider and attempt to create a ‘By Māori For Māori’ service provision and yet the political Right burn that to the ground for wider kudos from reactionary voters.
Māori are forced back into the very state system that is failing them.

Colonialism requires a level of arrogance and naked bigotry to work.

That is Oranga Tamariki’s true legacy.