Ara Taiohi welcomes the Waitangi Tribunal’s Interim Report on Oranga Tamariki (Section 7AA) and calls on government to implement evidence-based youth policy

Ara Taiohi notes with concern the three key issues raised in the Waitangi Tribunal’s Interim

Report on the Oranga Tamariki (Section 7AA) Urgent Inquiry.

We are particularly troubled by the Interim Report’s observation that a rushed repeal of Section 7AA will cause “actual harm” to vulnerable children, increase the probability of negative outcomes for Māori children in care, and diminish communities’ confidence in Oranga Tamariki.

We are the proud kaitiaki of Mana Taiohi, a principle-based framework that informs the way

people who work with young people work in Aotearoa New Zealand. We call on the government to embed Mana Taiohi and other empirically backed approaches and international best practices into all national policies affecting our young people.

Responding to today’s Interim Report, Jane Zintl, CEO of Ara Taiohi, stressed the importance of improving the outcomes for all tamariki in the care system.

"We echo the concerns raised by the Tribunal today and urge the government to consider policy alternatives that respect Te Tiriti o Waitangi and protects and uplifts our rangatahi.”

Ara Taiohi and our partners across the youth development sector will continue to engage with government to encourage the development of meaningful supports for young people and society as a whole.