2025 Caregiver survey report

The 2025 survey was conducted between 12 November and 12 December 2025.

We had responses from 683 whānau and non-whānau caregivers across Aotearoa.

It covers the full caregiving experience, from entering the role and accessing support, to working with social workers and supporting tamariki and rangatahi through transitions.

The survey found that many caregivers continue to find the role meaningful and value their relationships with caregiver social workers. At the same time, caregiver experiences remain mixed.

While many caregivers receive support that works well for them, others experience gaps, inconsistency or challenges accessing the support they need.

This means the system is working well for some caregivers, but not yet consistently for all.

Strong relationships with caregiver social workers

Caregivers identified positive relationships with caregiver social workers as a key strength. However, they also highlighted challenges with accessing information, practical support, respite, training and support during transitions out of care.

Continuity and coordination remain challenges

Experiences with children’s social workers were generally less positive than those with caregiver social workers. A reason for this is because continuity and coordination were affected by changes in personnel. 

Consistent with 2024

The findings are broadly consistent with 2024, reinforcing where sustained focus is needed. Overall, the results suggest that improving consistency, coordination and access to support will be important to strengthening the caregiving experience and supporting caregiver sustainability.

The survey forms part of the organisation’s wider research programme to improve support for caregivers, and outcomes for tamariki and rangatahi.

The findings inform ongoing work and builds on insights from previous surveys. This work continues to evolve over time.