Oranga Tamariki’s boss, Grainne Moss, and her harsh admission of ‘structural racism’

Oranga Tamariki Executive Director Grainne Moss says there is structural racism in the agency’s systems that has led to poor results for the Maori tamariki drawn from their whānau.

Moss made the stern admission this morning before the Waitangi Court investigative hearing on the controversial Crown agency.

Her appearance comes amid a Maori television report that she is ready to leave the troubled welfare agency, something Moss did not address.

He told the investigation that the Crown had not fully implemented the recommendations of the 1998 Puao-te-Ata-tu report on a Maori perspective for social support.

“This failure has affected the results of tamariki Māori, whānau, hapū and iwi. It has undermined the confidence of the Maori in the Crown and undermined confidence in their willingness and ability to address disparities.

“Structural racism is a feature of the care and protection system that has had adverse effects on tamariki Māori, whānau, hapū and iwi.”

He said that this had led to laws, policies and systems that had “negatively affected the relationship between the Maori and the Crown.”

“The structural racism that exists in the care and protection system reflects society at large and has also led to more Maori tamariki being denounced.

“The Crown should have identified the need to address structural racism head-on in the
Establishment of Child Welfare “.

The court also heard Commissioner for Children, Andrew Becroft, who published his second report in Oranga Tamariki on Monday and called for transformative change, including solutions from Maori for Maori.

During the past six years to June 2019, an average of 265 babies, of which 171 were Maori, were placed in state custody each year.

Children’s Minister Kelvin Davis responded to Becroft’s report saying a change was needed. But he did not support separatism, saying that the legacy of the Waitangi Treaty was partnership.

Moss did not address Becroft’s report, but said: “Historically, Maori perspectives and solutions have been ignored throughout the care and protection system. To address this, we must partner and engage with Maori so that together we can deliver better outcomes for Maori tamariki “. . “

He said that Oranga Tamariki was in the process of transformation, but “there is a long way to go.”

Last year a clause in the Oranga Tamariki Law came into effect to put the child’s manna, his whānau and whakapapa at the center of all decisions made about that child.

Becroft told the investigation that the clause has gotten off to a “very slow start.”

“There is still a lot of work to do.”

He suggested that incorporating the Treaty of Waitangi into law could be a trigger for positive change.

“Surely we would be putting a line in the sand and saying, ‘This is where we are.’

The court’s investigation is looking at three key questions:

• Why has there been such a significant and consistent disparity between the number of Maori and non-Maori Tamariki children who are enrolled in the state under the auspices of Oranga Tamariki and their predecessors?

• To what extent will changes in legislative policies and practices introduced since 2017 and currently being implemented will change this disparity for the better?

• What additional changes (if any) in Crown law, policy or practice might be necessary to ensure results consistent with Te Tiriti and its principles?