Supporting caregivers to support their young person

Oranga Tamariki has around 1580 whānau caregivers and 925 non-whānau caregivers looking after children in our care.

These caregivers come from different cultures, backgrounds and experiences. But all have one thing in common – they have taken the selfless and significant step to look after a young person in need.

And there's always a need for more.

Part of the effort to recruit and retain good caregivers is providing them with training and support, which has been a big focus for Oranga Tamariki.

That support looks different across areas and agencies, but with one shared goal – making sure caregivers have the support they need, to provide a safe and stable home.

In the Wellington region, there are a number of different agencies offering this kind of support, including Wesley Community Action, Kōkiri Marae and iwi, Ngāti Toa.

Te Waka Kotahi means one vessel in te reo Māori and conveys the concept of travelling together.

It's a fitting name for a service providing one-to-one wraparound support for Oranga Tamariki caregivers looking after some of New Zealand’s most vulnerable children.

“It’s all about being on the same waka and heading in the same direction,” says Wesley Community Action Director, David Hanna.

The Wellington-based organisation launched Te Waka Kotahi in September 2024, with funding from Oranga Tamariki. The goal is to support 16 caregivers in the first year.

A recent evaluation shows the service is working, with caregivers reporting improvements to their wellbeing and their ability to provide stable care.

Intensive support

Many of the caregivers Wesley Community Action supports are looking after their extended whānau. Some have no relation.

General Manager Andrea McKenzie says it is not uncommon for a caregiver to feel they are the ‘only option’ for a child with complex needs.

“They have a big heart, a spare room and they love kids.”

And, in turn, they need a lot of support.

Wesley develops a plan with each caregiver that focuses on their strengths, resilience and capabilities. Then, they devise objectives and work towards them together.

David says the ‘intensive’ part of the approach means their kaimahi do whatever it takes to support the caregivers – wherever and whenever they need it.

Kōkiri Marae in the Hutt Valley has a pool of 16 of its own caregivers who provide homes for children in Oranga Tamariki care.

They are 4 caregivers who offer respite care, and 2 are ‘nannies’ looking after their own mokopuna.

Most are recruited through word-of-mouth.

"So, it’s the caregivers telling their own whānau members we are looking for somebody to come in and nurture the children,” says Caregiver Coordinator Maraea Morunga.

And it is up to Maraea to nurture the caregivers, so they can focus all their energy on their young person.

“I talk to the social workers and anyone else I have to, just to take that pressure off them,” she says.

Matua Rautia

Oranga Tamariki funds Kōkiri Marae to provide trauma-informed training called Matua Rautia.

“It’s for the caregivers, to be able to deal with the trauma that our children come with and to face their own trauma,” says Maraea.

Beyond that, a lot of the support comes from Maraea herself who is in “on the button, 24/7”.

It is a big job, but that doesn’t stop her looking for more caregivers to add to their pool.

“There is always a need,” she says.

Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira (the mandated iwi authority for Ngāti Toa) has a strategic partnership with Oranga Tamariki, along with Te Āti Awa, and works closely with the agency to wrap support around whānau in the Wellington region.

Through its mātua whāngai care arrangement, Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira tries to place children who have come into care, with extended whānau.

Steven Johnson, General Manager of the social services arm of Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira, says they currently have 9 young people placed across 4 caregiver homes.

“We are also trying to recruit caregivers who are not next-of-kin,” he says. "There is a big need in that space.”

Ngāti Toa works closely with the Oranga Tamariki team in Porirua. Based in the same building, they try to identify potential iwi caregivers.

Mātua Whāngai

The goal is always to help a whānau keep their child at home.

Their close relationship with the Porirua team enables the iwi to wrap support around a whānau as soon as a concern is reported to Oranga Tamariki.

“We work in partnership with Oranga Tamariki in a number of areas, from family harm to the care space," Steven says.

That support includes a multitude of services across domains like housing and social development.

And when a young person cannot stay at home, mātua whāngai kicks in.

The iwi has a dedicated social worker to support its caregivers. This is something that's become even more important in the past 15 months as the cohort of young people coming through require additional support.

“There is a marked difference on a higher dependency in terms of the needs,” says Steven.

He attributes that in part to the after-effect of the Covid-19 pandemic. Steven says it highlights the importance of comprehensive training for caregivers to ensure they have the support they need, to support their young person.