Minister for Children Tracey Martin says solving the societal issues around domestic violence is bigger than just government. Photo / File
Minister for Children Tracey Martin says solving the societal issues around domestic violence is bigger than just government. Photo / File
The under-pressure Minister for Children has addressed the two recent crises facing Hawke's Bay Oranga Tamariki, saying parents, not just the government, need to "step up".
Minister Tracey Martin said the way people behave needed to change for it to fix issues with children taken into the children's ministry's care.
"We need parents to step up, families and whanau to step up and of course neighbours and communities to keep an eye out for our children."
The way in which children and families, especially Māori children, are treated by the Government has made headlines around the country recently, following two cases in Hawke's Bay.
In one case Oranga Tamariki attempted to uplift a child from Hawke's Bay Hospital.
Former Children's Commissoner Russell Wills says services like Oranga Tamariki are under resourced in Hawke's Bay. Photo / File
The case lead to an all night stand-off between midwives, lawyers, Oranga Tamariki, the police and DHB and lead to Ngati Kahungunu to call for all child uplifts to stop.
In the other a child was allegedly dropped off by a caregiver at a gang pad in Hastings as a scare tactic.
An investigation into this was ongoing on Tuesday.
Alison McDonald, deputy chief executive for children and families said the children's ministry could not comment on the specifics of the case for privacy reasons, however it was clear from initial inquiries that there were a number of different accounts of what happened.
Martin said there had been some "unfortunate rhetoric" around both cases, but said ultimately the ministry and iwi wanted what was best for children.
"Last week Oranga Tamariki met with the leadership of Ngati Kahungunu to discuss how the two could work together to prevent tamariki being harmed, and coming into care.
"I am confident in the Ministry's ability to build partnerships and have seen three Strategic Partnerships built since the inception of Oranga Tamariki just over two years ago."
She said there was definitely pressure on Hawke's Bay services, and an additional site had been opened in 2018.
"As Associate Education Minister I also announced investment in a prototype providing alternative education to children younger than high school age."
She said the recent announcement which sees $320 million put towards combating domestic and sexual violence will make a difference.
"When children experience violence or sexual violence and are left in that situation it can lead to challenging behaviour.
"What we see and hear as a child is what we think is normal as an adult. We need to safeguard not just this generation, but the next."
Former children's commissioner Russell Wills, a paediatrician at Hawke's Bay Hospital, says under-resourcing is making it difficult to attract highly skilled staff to NGOs and kaupapa Māori services, who are needed to address the needs of complex families.
He said in 2017 Hawke's Bay police referred 7650 children to Oranga Tamariki because they lived in homes police had been to for domestic violence call-outs.
"That year 4 per cent of children in our region had a finding of child abuse, double the national rate.
"We have exceptional rates of men's violence towards women and children in our region.
"Homelessness, poverty and inter-generational trauma are common in the families we see, so it's not surprising so many struggle with addictions and mental illness."
He said improving incomes, social housing and good services are important, but the largest issue which needs to be addressed is men's violence towards women and children.
"We men need to challenge those attitudes were hear in the pub, on the sports ground and from friends and family."
The Māori Party has voiced it's concerns over the number of children being uplifted at birth, especially the disproportionate number of Māori children being taken.
President Che Wilson said the situation was simply not good enough.
"Many Māori are speaking about their dissatisfaction with this system and the inherent bias and structural racism within it.
"While there are some iwi strategic partnerships in place, we need more. We also need to empower whānau, and iwi to be part of this process - and that means challenging some of the currently accepted practices.
""We need solutions that restore whānau and move them towards oranga - ripping children away from parents at birth does not do this."
The state of children's support services in Hawke's Bay has been thrust in the spotlight, due to two cases involving Oranga Tamariki.
