The woman, who can’t be identified to protect the identity of the little boy, said her nephew was in and out of Oranga Tamariki care for years.
He had “enormous behavioural issues” and, as a 5-year-old, only lasted four days at primary school before he was stood down.
The woman was eventually contacted and asked to give the boy a forever home. Despite looking forward to becoming “empty nesters”, the little boy needed them.
But the woman said his challenges were “huge” and, as a family, they needed professional help.
He was referred to Stand Tū Māia and would attend the organisation, based on Moana Tce in Rotorua‘s Lynmore suburb, three days a week.
“He learnt to read and write and do all the things 5-year-olds are meant to do.”
She said they also learned about trauma and what it did to a child’s brain.
“Most importantly, we learned about help for this boy ... his path was not determined.”
He “graduated” last term after two years at Stand Tū Māia.
The woman replaced the photo on the wall with a new photo of her nephew, now aged 7.
The crowd clapped and cheered a little as she said he was now going to school full time and was playing a team sport – something she said was unachievable before “because there would have been a war”.
The woman said she only spoke for one family and one child.
“How many other children are better off for the time they have spent here?”
On Wednesday, those who work alongside Stand Tū Māia were invited to a celebration at the Rotorua premises to highlight its services.
Stand Tū Māia was created in 2000 when children’s health camps ceased to exist. Its current three-year government contract is for $63 million and it employs 271 people nationwide.
For that money, it provides specialised trauma treatment, intensive family wrap-around support and family therapy for about 4000 children from 1000 families.
It has a national office and seven regional sites, including Northern in Whangārei; Auckland; Midland based in Rotorua; East Coast based in Gisborne; Central based in Paraparaumu; Christchurch; and Southern in Invercargill.
In Rotorua it employs 54 people.
Stand Tū Māia’s future is under a cloud as part of the Government’s Oranga Tamaki funding shake-up.
Stand Tū Māia responded to last year’s review announcement by launching court action against Oranga Tamariki for allegedly breaching its three-year contract.
Now the parties are in contract negotiations and chief executive Dr Fiona Inkpen said at the Rotorua event they expected to know more when the Budget was revealed.
She said it was hoped they could get their contract extended until at least December.
She said while they preferred more certainty, they were willing to work with government ministries to ensure the service remained.
She highlighted national data that showed exposure to trauma and stress was a powerful indicator of poor lifelong outcomes and that most prisoners had experienced childhood trauma.
Midland Rotorua regional manager Toni Hocquard said Stand Tū Māia had helped 6100 children from 2200 families in the region during the past 12 years.
She said there was an “unwavering” demand for their services and there were 127 families on their waitlist.
Children’s Minister Karen Chhour told the Rotorua Daily Post she was tasked with ensuring Oranga Tamariki was putting the care and protection of vulnerable young people above all else when it spent money entrusted to it by taxpayers.
“This was not a small task, the assessment of this $500 million contracting process for all its 550 providers has taken many months. The result of this has been the reviewing and renegotiation of a significant number of contracts, that process is still ongoing.”
Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.
