He said he had listened to some of the submissions made in the Waitangi Tribunal's inquiry into the state agency - many of which mentioned the importance of whakapapa and Māori solutions to this issue.
"Obviously we don't want children to be at harm inside their whānau but if they do have to be uplifted it should be within their wider whānau or hapū context," he said.
Davis acknowledged the Puao-te-ata-Tu report - a 1988 report by the Ministerial Advisory Committee on a Māori Perspective for the Department of Social Welfare - which talked about biculturalism and partnership, something Davis said needed strengthening.
"Our children are the future of Māoridom and so we need to make sure they are going to grow up in warm, safe loving homes amongst their whānau."
When asked if people could expect change in the system under his leadership, Davis said he was open to the ideas and proposals Māori had.
"The voices are very strong out there in our communities, I'm taking nothing off the table. We have to be brave to admit where we have got things wrong and what we need to change and working in partnership with Māoridom is what needs to happen."
Meanwhile, in his own electorate, Davis said it was imperative to support whānau.
"We have a huge focus on jobs," he said.
"We've laid the foundation in the previous Government now this Government we're looking to build on that and making sure people have the best opportunity for well paying jobs. That's why we're also making apprenticeships free for the next two years."
Davis said this Government had a "slightly different way ahead" regarding Provincial Growth Fund-type projects.
"We want to plan out what is best for all our regions and funding the projects after that rather than picking a roundabout here or something else there. It needs to be a lot more co-ordinated," he said.
