Ngāti Porou aims to have no children taken into state care by 2025

Children's Commissioner Andrew Becroft accepted the report, and called it a "revolution". Photo / 123RF

BY RNZ

The East Coast tribe presented a report into its iwi-led model of care to the Children's Commissioner and the Ministry of Social Development.

It said the current Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2013 between the iwi and the Crown was not a partnership based on the Treaty of Waitangi.

Between 2015 and 2017, there was a 38 percent increase in the number of Ngāti Porou tamariki going into state care, up to 425.

A spokesperson said the iwi would be presenting a business case to get more resources from the government, to increase its social services.

Children's Commissioner Andrew Becroft accepted the report, and called it a "revolution".

"I think it is something of a blueprint for the way forward - we've talked a lot about this in theory but here's the foundation for a change in practice."

He said what made it achievable was Ngāti Porou's existing, well-resourced social services that were providing organic, wrap-around support.

He said changes to the law which required Oranga Tamariki to work with iwi, hapū and whānau also meant "there's never been a better time to grab this opportunity".