Aotearoa New Zealand's child protection system is in crisis. Every independent oversight body (Aroturuki Tamariki, Mana Mokopuna, the Chief Ombudsman, and the Auditor-General) has confirmed the same verdict, the system is failing tamariki Māori. Māori children are 5.7 times more likely to be in state care than non-Māori peers, a third of young Māori in the system have attempted suicide in the past twelve months, and 70% face a continued generational cycle of state care involvement. Thirty reviews over thirty years have identified the same gaps. This is not a reform problem. It is an accountability problem.

Tamariki Ora is a proposed response, a tamariki-anchored, whānau-enabled, culturally grounded model designed for the high-risk, time-critical environment surrounding tamariki within or at the edge of the child protection system. Drawing from the proven learnings of Whānau Ora, it is intentionally distinct: calibrated to the developmental timeframes, statutory pressures, and safety thresholds that define this context.
The model centres four core components: a specialist Kaiārahi accountable to tamariki outcomes; a single integrated plan spanning safety, stability, and thriving; a formalised Protective Network of whānau, caregivers, and community; and rapid stabilisation resourcing deployable within 24 to 72 hours. Central to its design is tamariki voice, not as consultation, but as a structural pou embedded within whakapapa.

This presentation introduces the Tamariki Ora concept, the evidence base underpinning it, and an honest account of the questions not yet answered, inviting indigenous partners across the region to help shape what comes next.