Children taken away by Oranga Tamariki has dropped in the Bay of Plenty. Photo / File
Children taken away by Oranga Tamariki has dropped in the Bay of Plenty. Photo / File
Children with broken skulls, unexplained brain injuries and arms that have been busted for six months are still showing up on Oranga Tamariki's radar in the Bay of Plenty.
The news comes following figures released to the Bay of Plenty Times under the Official Information Act which show the departmenthas taken 99 fewer children into care or custody in the region, including 42 in Tauranga - in the last three years.
But one psychotherapist said there should be cause for alarm if the drop in numbers was due to Oranga Tamariki's reluctance to remove children because of recent backlash and scrutiny.
Meanwhile, one social agency says ex-addicts and gang members are among the many helping to keep children out of care.
Oranga Tamariki Bay of Plenty regional manager Tayelva Petley said the disturbingly high rates of family harm incidents in the Bay of Plenty meant children with broken skulls, arms that had been broken for six months or unexplained brain injuries were still being seen.
"Is it enough? No, we want to keep going. If we can prevent children from coming into state care then we do it," she said.
Family Matters Tauranga child and adolescent psychotherapist Joanne Bruce said fewer children entering care was positive but she would be concerned if there was a reluctance to remove a child due to the organisation's recent scrutiny.
She said children taken from their parents or caregivers experienced "enormous grief and confusion".
"It's devastating for a child to be removed from a parent regardless of how dangerous or how much risk there is in a family," she said.
She said arranged removals and placements with someone who knew the child was better but still impacted on the child's development.
Tē Tuinga Whānau Support Services Trust was based in Tauranga West and director Tommy Wilson said the drop in numbers was promising, and down to open communication with police, government agencies - including Oranga Tamariki - gangs and families involved.
Te Tuinga Whanau director Tommy Wilson of is happy to see progress in stopping children from going into Oranga Tamariki care. Photo / Andrew Warner
Those who worked for the trust came from a range of backgrounds which made them more "whānau-friendly".
"We've got people who have had the trauma of actually having to uplift children or being lifted . . . people who've had ex-addiction backgrounds, who've had ex-gang backgrounds," he said.
Wilson said the trust had 4000 interventions a year.
"We've got a good understanding about what their problem is, what their needs are and what their solutions are."
He said most of the time, something could be done to prevent a child taken away.
"If you've got a good filter that can connect with those families before you get to the crisis point of lifting, then you're going to see the results that we're seeing."
Collaboration meant effective plans could be developed to prevent children from being uplifted.
"It's not about moving the ambulance to another cliff . . . it's about working out how you can put different drivers in the ambulance before it gets to the cliff."
Oranga Tamariki said in the OIA response there needed to be valid and verified concerns for the safety of the child, and the Family Court needed to agree the concerns were warranted, to enter the care of the agency.
The different warrants and custody orders were broadly grouped into three categories – care agreements, urgent entry to care or custody, and arranged entry to care or custody.
The agency said in a statement issues of family violence, mental health, addiction, previous physical abuse of older children or neglect are some of the reasons children could be placed into care.
The number of cases in the Bay of Plenty region has dropped from 288 in 2015 to 189 in 2019. Last year, most of these cases, 48 in total, were children aged 0-1.
Meanwhile, the number of children taken into care in Tauranga West - which included Bellevue, Katikati, Bethlehem, Pyes Pa and Parkvale - also dropped from 61 in the 2015 financial year to 15 in the 2019 financial year.
In that same time, Tauranga East - which included Mount Maunganui, Welcome Bay, Pāpāmoa and Te Puke - was at the highest it's been in that same time period with 36 children taken into care or custody last year up from 32 cases in 2015.
Warrants and custody orders
Care agreements - A child enters care through a voluntary agreement with the parents, guardians or usual carer. - From 28 days to two years.
Urgent entry to care or custody - Interim orders or warrants which result in the transfer of the custody of a child to Oranga Tamariki until a final decision on the child's care can be made. - Can only be used if there is an immediate concern for the safety and wellbeing of tamariki when all other intervention options have been considered.
Arranged entry to care or custody - An arranged entry to custody of Oranga Tamariki and will usually occur after a Family Group Conference has been held. Source: Oranga Tamariki
