The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Budget 2018: Oranga Tamariki gets nearly $270m in funding, 17-year-old offenders to be moved to youth court

Tess Nichol
Reporter·NZ Herald·
17 May, 2018 02:39 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
The New Zealand Herald interviews Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern following the 2018 budget lock up.

Oranga Tamariki will have nearly $270 million to spend over the next four years, with money allocated for moving 17-year-old offenders into youth courts and supporting non-parental caregivers.

Minister for Children, NZ First politician Tracey Martin said the 2018 Budget "reinforced the Coalition Government's commitment to improving care" for vulnerable children.

"We know there's nothing more important to New Zealand than the wellbeing of its children.

"The investments we are announcing today will better support caregivers, fund increased demand for child services and represent another step in the change required to transform New Zealand's system of care and protection for children and young people."

Oranga Tamariki–Ministry for Children was established last year and some of its funding was time-limited.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"There are a number of areas with current funding pressures or where extra money is required to expand what it does," Martin said.

"This Budget provides Oranga Tamariki $269.9m over the next four years to expand its services."

This included Oranga Tamariki receiving $141.6m over the next four years to go toward the care of children and young people, providing for additional care placements, allow for pay increases for social workers and upgrade tools such as IT systems that help social workers do their jobs.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Over four years, a total of $139.5m in operating funds will also be provided for changes that allow 17-year-olds to be included in the youth justice system," Martin said.

"This funding – of which $13.4m goes to Vote Courts – will provide for more Family Group Conferences and community responses, including extra remand beds."

Oranga Tamariki also receives $2.2m for one year for a trial to improve the Family Group Conference process for tamariki Māori.

Budget 2018 also includes support for people caring for children who aren't their own, no matter what their relationship is with the child, Martin said.

Discover more

New Zealand

Greenest Budget ever, says Greens leader Shaw

17 May 02:48 AM
New Zealand

Mixed response for fund for vulnerable youth

17 May 03:17 AM
New Zealand

Government is failing beneficiaries, advocates say

17 May 03:41 AM

"Carers, such as grandparents, have had to cover too much of the extra costs associated with raising children.

"Three years ago, Parliament unanimously supported the private member's bill I took on the issue, the Social Security (Clothing Allowances for Orphans and Unsupported Children) Amendment Act 2015).

"The Coalition Government's first Budget puts the required money behind it."

$104.9m of new operating funding over the next four years is earmarked to provide a clothing allowance for children on the Orphan's Benefit or Unsupported Child's Benefit, paid at the same rate as the clothing allowance provided for children in foster care.

The new funding will ensure that carers, such as grandparents, are entitled to a clothing allowance of up to $1500 a year for the children they're looking after. The new allowance comes into effect on July 1, 2018.

Save
    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

Wayne Langford talks politics on The Country

12 Feb 12:56 AM
The Country

Bumper harvest: Million reasons to smile for Tairāwhiti apple growers

12 Feb 12:00 AM
The Country

'Not what anyone wants to read whānau': Fresh warnings for storm-hit parts of North Island

11 Feb 09:59 PM

Sponsored

Cyber crime in 2025: Increased specialisation, increased collaboration, increased risk

09 Feb 09:12 PM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

Wayne Langford talks politics on The Country
The Country

Wayne Langford talks politics on The Country

Wayne Langford, Tim Dangen, Chris Brandolino, Andrew Gibson, and Chris Russell.

12 Feb 12:56 AM
Bumper harvest: Million reasons to smile for Tairāwhiti apple growers
The Country

Bumper harvest: Million reasons to smile for Tairāwhiti apple growers

12 Feb 12:00 AM
'Not what anyone wants to read whānau': Fresh warnings for storm-hit parts of North Island
The Country

'Not what anyone wants to read whānau': Fresh warnings for storm-hit parts of North Island

11 Feb 09:59 PM


Cyber crime in 2025: Increased specialisation, increased collaboration, increased risk
Sponsored

Cyber crime in 2025: Increased specialisation, increased collaboration, increased risk

09 Feb 09:12 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • NZME Digital Performance Marketing
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2026 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP