Our history | Tō mātou hītori

The need for greater oversight

In 2015 an Expert Advisory Panel report on Modernising Child, Youth and Family, recommended greater oversight of New Zealand’s child protection system. A subsequent 2017 review of independent oversight arrangements for the Oranga Tamariki system and children’s issues, including the 2018 post-consultation Beatie report, led to our initial establishment in 2019 as a business unit of the Ministry of Social Development (MSD
Ministry of Social DevelopmentView the full glossary). Our role at that time was to monitor compliance with the National Care Standards Regulations, which took effect in 2019.

On 1 May 2023, the Oversight of Oranga Tamariki System Act took effect, widening our monitoring role to the whole of the oranga tamariki system. We left MSD and became a departmental agency.

On 1 August 2025, the Oversight of Oranga Tamariki System Amendment Act took effect, establishing us as an independent Crown entity governed by a board. 

Our history - Documents for download

Expert Panel Final Report - Investing in New Zealand’s Children and their Families

Strengthening independent oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system

Post Consultation Report

Oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system independent review – MartinJenkins

Establishing the Monitor

In 2019, Government established the Monitor and agreed that the Ministry of Social Development would design and establish the monitoring function.

On 1 May 2023 the Oversight of Oranga Tamariki System Act took effect and we became an operationally independent departmental agency. As a departmental agency we were hosted by the Education Review Office (ERO) who provided us with back-office functions such as payroll, finance and IT.  

On 1 August 2025 the Oversight of Oranga Tamariki System Amendment Act took effect and we became an independent Crown entity governed by a board. 

Read the 2024 Cabinet papers on establishment of the Monitor as an independent Crown entity and additional changes to the oversight system (Ministry of Social Development website)

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Oversight of Oranga Tamariki System Legislation Amendment Bill: Approval for Introduction
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Read the 2021 Cabinet papers on arrangements for the Monitor as a departmental agency (Ministry of Social Development Website)

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Oversight of the Oranga Tamariki System and Children and Young People’s Commission Bill
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Read the papers and reports that led to the establishment of the Monitor in 2019 (Ministry of Social Development Website)

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Independent oversight of the care of children
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Establishment phases

In 2019, Government agreed to a phased approach to allow time to progress changes to the law that support our role, and to develop and establish the monitoring function.

Our first phase of monitoring assessed NCS Regulations
(National Care Standards and Related Matters) Regulations 2018 View the full glossary 69 and 85, which relate to allegations of harm or neglect for children in care. Cabinet agreed work should begin in this area first as it covers the area of highest risk and potential harm to tamariki
Children (plural) aged 0-13 yearsView the full glossary and rangatahi
Young person aged 14 – 21 years of ageView the full glossary. We published three reports, covering allegations of harm and neglect made between 1 July 2019 and 30 June 2020. Read the Initial Monitoring Reports.  

The second phase of monitoring assessed all NCS Regulations. Our first full report, which we published in early 2022, covered the period 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021. Experiences of Care in Aotearoa
New ZealandView the full glossary has been published annually since 2020/21. Read our Experiences of Care reports on agency compliance with the NCS Regulations. 

In 2023 we moved into the third and final phase, monitoring the whole of the oranga tamariki system. This moved our monitoring beyond children in care, to any child who is known to Oranga Tamariki – such as through early-intervention or youth justice. Read more about how we work with our oversight partners, the Ombudsman and Mana
Prestige, authority, control, power, influence, status, spiritual power, charismaView the full glossary Mokopuna – Children and Young People’s Commission.

In June 2025 we published our first annual system-wide report – Outcomes for tamariki and rangatahi Māori and their whanau in the oranga tamariki system. This report covered the year 1 July 2023 – 30 June 2024. In 2027, we will publish our first three yearly report on the performance of the oranga tamariki system for the period 1 July 2023 – 30 June 2026. 

Our initial engagement Tūhonohono

Key to the success of our mahi
WorkView the full glossary is engaging and partnering with those who work within or experience the Oranga Tamariki system. We do this by visiting communities around Aotearoa
New ZealandView the full glossary, meeting with tamariki
Children (plural) aged 0-13 yearsView the full glossary, rangatahi
Young person aged 14 – 21 years of ageView the full glossary, whānau
Whānau refers to people who are biologically linked or share whakapapa. For the Monitor’s monitoring purposes, whānau includes parents, whānau members living with tamariki at the point they have come into care View the full glossary, caregivers,  Oranga Tamariki staff, NGOs
Non-government organisationsView the full glossary, and other government agencies. We strive to be inclusive, encompassing the diversity of culture, identity, and ethnicity of all those either delivering services or receiving services. 

Engagement with Māori

Reviews found the need for more engagement with Māori across all aspects of the Oranga Tamariki system and independent oversight functions. Taking into account the views and concerns of Māori is central to the way the Monitor functions.

In mid-2019, we held a series of hui
Meeting, gatheringView the full glossary around Aotearoa to inform the development of a strengthened independent oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system to ensure it better responds to the needs of tamariki, rangatahi and whānau, leading to improved outcomes. In addition, from late January 2020 to mid-March 2020, we held another 19 hui across the country to raise awareness on how the Monitor, Office of the Children’s Commissioner and the Ombudsman will work together, once legislation is passed, to strengthen independent oversight, and to explain what each agency’s role is in this.

The hui were a chance to formally introduce the Monitor, share mahi already completed and understand how people want to be engaged in the future. The hui saw 525 people, including service providers, Māori focused organisations, government agencies and children’s professionals, come together and share their thoughts.

Feedback from both hui covered both the current state of the system and where mahi is required to improve outcomes in the future; in particular, the relevance of te ao Māori
The Māori worldView the full glossary, interactions with Oranga Tamariki, funding and support, communication, historic issues, strengthening independent oversight legislation and the Monitor’s approach. It is important to us that we continue to share our progress and plans with communities and service providers through hui.  We will keep you informed of our future plans. Below are the key themes that emerged from our 2019 and 2020 hui.

View the work of the graphic artist, who accompanied us for some hui.