The approach
Children’s Teams bring together practitioners and professionals from iwi, health, justice, education and social services to create a single plan to help and support children who are at risk of abuse or neglect.
The problem
We know tamariki and whānau may require support from a range of sectors. Often the help they receive is fragmented, and sometimes even contradictory. This can lead to:
- children not being at the centre
- children’s voices not being heard
- children and their whānau being overwhelmed by the number of agencies involved with them
- children falling below a key agency’s threshold for support so they don’t get the help they need
- children not getting an effective, joined-up approach or integrated service response
- services delivered in a way that creates difficulties for families, such as having to find transport or childcare so they can get to appointments
- children getting short-term, inconsistent or conflicting support.
How is the approach different?
Children’s needs are multi-faceted. The team approach recognises that no single agency alone can protect children.
The approach is to provide joined-up support around our at-risk children and their whānau. There’s a focus on agencies working together and sharing information to reduce duplication and improve outcomes for children.

Who do the teams help?
We work with tamariki and rangatahi up to 18 years old, who are at significant risk of harm to their wellbeing.
This could be now or in the future, as a consequence of the environment in which they are being raised and – in some cases – due to their own complex needs, and the needs of their whānau.
This includes, but is not limited to:
- children living in homes where family violence is present
- children who have difficulty attending school or engaging when present
- children with social or behavioural problems
- children with unaddressed health issues
- whānau struggling with social or economic issues who have dependent children
- whānau with dependent children where parenting capacity needs to be strengthened
- whānau with dependent children for whom a statutory intervention may be required if concerns and risk factors are not addressed.
It's not another service, but it's a different approach.
How we work
There are four key foundations to the way we work:
- being child-centred and family and whānau focused
- forming partnerships
- being informed by the evidence
- working together in trans-disciplinary teams.
Families taking the lead
Importantly, families must agree to be part of this approach. The child and their whānau are then supported to lead the change to improve their wellbeing.
One team working together
By working across sectors and organisations we can make sure the child gets the support they need.
The three levels
This approach works across:
Governance
To prioritise existing services, resources and new ways of working to create joint responsibility for our at-risk tamariki.
Operations
To get practitioners and professionals from health, education, NZ Police, justice and the social service sector to work together, put the needs of children first and share responsibility.
Practice
To improve the capability of the children’s workforce to work in a child-centred, trans-disciplinary way in partnership with whānau.

How did Children's Teams come about?
Children's Teams were designed in response to the White and Green Papers for Vulnerable Children. These papers highlighted some weaknesses in the way we worked with children and their families, and set out a programme of change to address this.
White and Green Papers
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White paper for vulnerable children volume 1
Sets out what will be done to protect vulnerable children who are at risk of maltreatment.
Pdf, 2.2 MB
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White paper for vulnerable children volume 2
Contains the evidence and detailed policy rationale for each of the proposals in volume 1.
Pdf, 2.7 MB
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The green paper for vulnerable children - summary of submissions
One page summary of key themes from almost 10,000 submissions received on the 'Green paper for vulnerable children'.
Pdf, 312 KB
Published: March 13, 2017 · Updated: May 7, 2020