Removing OT's treaty obligations could hurt most vulnerable, says parenting experts

A bill repealing Oranga Tamariki's obligation to consider a child’s cultural background passed its first reading in Parliament last week.

But concerns remain about what it will mean for our at-risk children.

Community leaders Tigilau Ness and Lyn Doherty work for Ohomairangi Trust which is a Kaupapa Māori Early Intervention Service helping both Māori and Pacific whānau in need of wraparound parenting support and programmes.

The pair spoke with PMN’s William Terite on Pacific Mornings from their on-the-ground perspective on how the cuts to the Ministry for Children and this bill will impact the families they support.

Watch the full interview with Tigilau Ness and Lyn Doherty from Ohomairangi Trust:

As part of the government’s cost-cutting plans, Oranga Tamariki has proposed de-establishing 447 jobs and reducing its workforce by 9 percent, along with not filling 70 vacant roles.

Doherty, who is a psychologist and parenting facilitator with the Mangere-based trust, said the reduction in staff has already been felt.

"I'll start with an example of one whanau we're supporting at the moment," she said.

"With the cuts to staffing, wait times [are increasing] for some whanau. This young mum has taken in a 10-year-old nephew into her care. But five months after moving, he's still waiting to be able to attend a school [because government agencies still need to approve extra support for him].

"Now this is despite having Oranga Tamariki, the Ministry of Education and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services involved. So it's just not good enough that families are in this sort of situation."

Ness, who’s been helping run one of the trust's parenting programmes for the last 14 years that supports dads who have addiction or custody issues, said these changes could undo much progress that has already been made.

“It seems to be repealing things that are good for the Pacific and Māori parents that we are coming across, that we are working with," said the Niuean Polynesian Panther and popular reggae artist.

"It'll affect them in the long run the children that are in their care.

“Our people haven't got a chance, they've got no voice except with workers like us, because they can't articulate their pain and trauma and sorrow.

"And taking children away from them is not the solution, which this government seems to be forging ahead with without any real empathy for the results of what's going to happen to our children as they grow up.”

While this new legislation would remove obligations to consider a child’s cultural background when placing them in state care, Minister for Children Karen Chhour has said Oranga Tamariki will still work with iwi providers and Māori social services.

"I don't think it will have any impact at all," Chhour told Pacific Mornings earlier this month.

"The enabling community partnerships that we've created, they're all going to continue. Nothing's going to change. If it's working well in our community and it's for the betterment of our children, it must continue."

But Doherty has responded that the evidence shows mandating state care providers to work with Māori ensures better outcomes over the long term.

“I think by contracting to iwi and hapu providers, that's going to enable that connection to be maintained and the situation for children to be growing up in a loving environment is going to be able to be provided.

“I think there is a suggestion that this will carry on but we don't know for sure if that will happen if this section of the act is repealed.”

With nationwide protests kicking off today, highlighting concerns that this government is trying to diminish the place of Māori in society, Ness said it's important Pacific people stand don't remain oblivious to what's happening.

“When the government has taken away things like the Māori health authority, it’s a case of Māori first, then guess who's next?

"It’ll be the minorities again are being dealt a blow in order for this government to show that it's doing something to try and solve the situation that this whole country is in, taking away resources, and not replacing them with anything positive.”