Oranga Tamariki deputy chief executive for children and families in the north, Glynis Sandland, said claims Oranga Tamariki attempted to bring a baby into its care without notice were incorrect. There had been no attempt to take the baby from the mum, she said.
"Oranga Tamariki had not yet made a decision about whether to remove this baby, and we are continuing to explore the best options for mother and child. Oranga Tamariki and its predecessors have been working with the mum for a number of years.
"During the pregnancy, we worked alongside her and the wider family to address serious safety concerns for the baby," Sandland said.
She said the chief executive was granted interim custody under Section 78 to ensure the safety of the baby. Under the order, the baby can be placed in the care of any person and not necessarily taken from the mother, where there is appropriate support for both mother and baby.
"We have been working through a number of options with the parents and their wider family, and our shared goal is to find a way to keep mother and baby together and safe.
"We will continue to work towards this goal, and a further meeting is planned next week with iwi and community providers to discuss how we can work together, with mum and family being critical to decision-making.
"We have also offered to help the mother with food, baby clothes and any other support she needs," Sandland said.
Waipareira chief executive John Tamihere said: "The problem with that is that we're just down the road here and they never contact us - never."
Instead of reaching out to their agency - which offers support to predominantly Māori families around the West Auckland region - the group made moves that resulted in children being "ripped out of their mothers' arms," he said.
“It is with a heavy heart that we are now having to negotiate on behalf of our Mothers, their babies and whānau for TWO pending OT Uplifts here at Waitakere Hospital. The Problem is we, Whānau Waipareira are just down the road and we have never been contacted by OT about this” - John Tamihere
Posted by Te Whānau O Waipareira on Thursday, June 11, 2020
Many young mothers who found themselves dealing with Oranga Tamariki were unprepared and did not have the background knowledge and money to get help from a lawyer, for example, Tamihere said.
"The [Oranga Tamariki] agency is rotten to the core in nature.
"It is fatally culturally racist ... and I'm sick of it."
Sandland said Oranga Tamariki did not have a formal agreement with the Waitematā District Health Board (WDHB), which prevented it from taking babies into their care.
"We do however have an agreement to work together early and put a plan in place which involves the mother, wider family, midwife, hospital social worker, social services and iwi," she said.
Determined mother
In videos seen by the Herald, the mother of one of the newborn children - born on Sunday - can be seen holding her child carefully to her chest.
She acknowledges on camera that she comes from a difficult upbringing, but had made all the necessary requirements asked of her - including finding solid accommodation - by Oranga Tamariki.
"I am very determined to prove that I have made changes and I will continue to stay changed.
"What more do I need to do to prove to them?"
