Published: May 5, 2023 · Updated: May 10, 2023
A new Ngāti Kahungunu-led plan was launched at Waipatu Marae, that will improve and transform the way tamariki and whānau in Te Matau ā Māui are supported through early intervention to limit whānau involvement with Oranga Tamariki.
Oranga Tamariki reach milestone in our organisational transformation
Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated, with its health and wellbeing advisory group ‘Te Tumu Whakahaere o Te Wero’ (Te Wero), and Oranga Tamariki, launched Te Ara Mātua at Waipatu Marae on Wednesday 19th April.
Te Ara Mātua aims to transform the current way tamariki and whānau experience support and care and seeks to design and introduce a new approach to ensure tamariki and their whānau experiencing wellbeing concerns are supported to meet their immediate needs and plan for their future.
In 2019, Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Inc. made a stance, ‘Not one more child’ will be taken into the ‘Oranga Tamariki’ system without their intervention. Then in early 2021 the Strategic Partnership Agreement, “Te Ara Mātua” was signed by the respective Chief Executives Chrissie Hape and the late Tā Wira Gardiner and witnessed by then Chair Ngāhiwi Tomoana and Minister Kelvin Davis.
This set a series of agreed objectives and principles between Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Inc and Oranga Tamariki.
Since then, Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Inc. have held a series of wānanga with whānau to understand their stories and the personal experiences they have had with Oranga Tamariki and the wider care and protection system. These whānau voices have been captured in a report, ‘Kōrero Mai Whānau. Based on these experiences, Ngāti Kahungunu presented a set of recommendations to Government Agencies and worked with whānau to form the early design stages of a Kahungunu support and care approach for Te Matau a Māui tamariki and their whānau.
Ngāti Kahungunu led the design and development of Te Ara Mātua and will lead its implementation of an integrated suite of services and support that ultimately aims to keep tamariki and their whānau out of the Oranga Tamariki system and to return those already captured in the system to the protection of their whānau, hapū and iwi.
The launch of Te Ara Mātua follows recommendations made by the Oranga Tamariki Ministerial Advisory Board and the Oranga Tamariki Future Direction Plan, to see decision making and resources shifted to communities.
Intellectual Protection Disclaimer
Te Ara Mātua is a kaupapa that was designed by Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated its Te Tumu Whakahaere o Te Wero advisory partners and the Te Ara Toiora whānau champions. The concepts, graphs, and all kaupapa designs are copyrighted under the Cultural Creative Intellectual Property Rights Reserved ©℗®™2009.
Any use of the kaupapa must be approved by Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated and the Te Tumu Whakahaere o Te Wero collective before it can be copied or used by anyone. This information remains the Intellectual Property of Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated. and is not for public use. For all inquiries contact the Communications Advisor ruth@kahungunu.iwi.nz