'end uplifts as we have known them' in massive overhaul
Kelvin Davis on Wednesday said the Government has accepted every single recommendation made by an independent board set up earlier this year to advise on how the department - which has been heavily criticised over the past two years - can be salvaged, particularly when it comes to its treatment of tamariki Māori.
"When I appointed the board, I asked it to get to the root of the problems with Oranga Tamariki and be completely honest with me about what it found. What they provided was a confronting yet powerful report and I am pleased to say the Government has accepted all their recommendations."
More than two-thirds of children seen by Oranga Tamariki are Māori. The department's failings were laid bare in 2019 when video of an uplift - the forced removal of a child from their caregiver - was published by Newsroom. Statistics showed the vast majority of children being uplifted were Māori or Pasifika.
Link to article and video: Oranga Tamariki to 'end uplifts as we have known them' in massive overhaul (msn.com)
