Oranga Tamariki has released its Annual Report for 2024/25. This looks back on the past year and reflects on progress made, challenges we face, and work underway to ensure the best support for tamariki, rangatahi and whānau.
“This year has been all about focus. It’s been about focusing Oranga Tamariki on what is important, on what is core,” says Acting Chief Executive Andrew Bridgman.
“Early in this financial year we refocused and developed a plan that prioritised the essential things we must do as a childcare and protection agency. This covered delivering on our core purpose, changing our culture to enable our people, and getting the basics right.”
The Annual Report is a key tool for accountability and improvement. It provides transparency about our progress and guides where we need to focus our efforts, from strengthening practice and partnerships to supporting our frontline kaimahi.
“It’s about meeting expectations, but also understanding the reasons when don’t, and how can we overcome those impediments,” Mr Bridgman says.
A year of demand and continued work
This year saw Oranga Tamariki face significant challenges, with a sharp rise in requests for Oranga Tamariki services.
"Reports of Concern rose sharply – up 44 % overall, with a 17 % increase in individual children with reports. In response, we’ve focused on supporting frontline social workers to maintain service levels under growing demand,” Mr Bridgman says.
Despite this pressure, Oranga Tamariki completed more than 44,000 investigations, facilitated more than 10,000 Family Group Conferences, and supported over 4,000 children in care.
Throughout the year, 95 % of children in care were visited by their social worker at least once every 8 weeks – ensuring their care arrangements maintained their safety, wellbeing and connection.
Focusing on what is most important
This year’s report reflects the work of Oranga Tamariki to stay focused what Mr Bridgman describes as the core reason we are here.
“What is most important is protecting New Zealand’s children that are at risk of harm or neglect,” he says.
“Supporting our frontline staff is critical if we are to be successful. This must be the focus of the organisation, because that is our core statutory role, a role no one else can undertake.”
Work is ongoing to develop and support the Ministry’s skilled workforce through improved supervision, practice tools and systems.
Oranga Tamariki has continued to strengthen early support, prevention and partnership. It also remains focused on working more closely with iwi, Māori organisations, communities and other government agencies to deliver better outcomes for children and young people.
“We’re enabling locally-led innovation by supporting iwi and Māori partners to reimagine care and protection, helping shape a more decentralised, community-driven model,” Mr Bridgman says.
Making a difference where it matters
Despite the challenges outlined in the report, Mr Bridgman says there is much to acknowledge:
“More children are being supported to remain safely with their whānau, and 96 % of children in care tell us they feel safe. Caregiver support has improved, youth offending initiatives are showing promise, and standards in residences have lifted. We’ve also invested in frontline technology, youth justice services, and a new Child Protection Investigation Unit.
“Youth offending is becoming more complex but we’re seeing positive results toward the government’s target to reduce serious and persistent youth offending by 15 %. We’ve introduced new practice approaches and have begun embedding a more efficient structure that positions us for the future,” he says.
This year, 98 % of tamariki in care said they have someone in their life who loves them unconditionally – and 90 % feel supported to achieve their goals. More tamariki are telling us Oranga Tamariki make things better for them, and that they have somewhere they belong and trusted people to talk to.
Findings like these highlight why our work matters – and are what drive us forward each day. Behind every number in the Annual Report are a child or young person we are making a real difference for.
Looking ahead
Oranga Tamariki remains committed to ensuring tamariki and rangatahi in Aotearoa are loved, safe and supported to thrive within their whānau and communities. They are at the heart of everything we do.
Our focus continues to be strengthening our social work practice, meaningfully advancing our partnerships, and building a system that puts children and young people at the centre.
