Inequity over Ma¯ori babies

Wathsala Nanayakkara Researcher

The ‘‘deep, persistent and increasing inequity in the removal of Ma¯ ori babies’’ from their mothers has been outlined in a report by the Children’s Commissioner.

The report was prompted by multiple reviews going on into aspects of Oranga Tamariki practice following the attempted removal of a newborn Ma¯ ori baby from their whanau in Hawke’s Bay last year. Two more reports this year by commissioner Andrew Becroft will include insights and recommendations for improvement.

The report released today is essentially a snapshot of statistics that shows there were persistent and intergenerational inequities in the removal of Ma¯ ori babies into state custody. Using statistics for babies aged 0-3 months over the past 16 years, analysis by the commissioner’s office revealed six key findings about what was happening for Ma¯ ori babies:

❚ The number of concerns reported about the safety of babies and children has increased substantially over the past 16 years. This was especially so for Ma¯ori babies under 3 months old and during pregnancy compared with nonMa¯ ori babies. In 2019 there were

823 concerns reported to Oranga

Tamariki about unborn Ma¯ori babies. That was more than eight times the 100 concerns made to Child Youth and Family in 2004. For non-Ma¯ ori unborn babies there were 385 concerns in 2019, up from

85 in 2004.

❚ The number of social work assessments that find substantiated abuse for babies has decreased from a peak in 2013. There were 1142 instances in 2013 and 848 last year.

❚ The number of Ma¯ ori babies and children under 18 taken into state custody in 2018 was 155 per 10,000 population – seven times higher than for non-Ma¯ ori – and the gap is continuing to increase.

❚ Assessments and removals of babies are happening earlier. Last year there were 82 babies ordered into state custody before birth; 61 were Ma¯ ori.

❚ The urgency of decisions to take babies into state custody has increased for Ma¯ori babies. Between 2010 and 2019 the rate of urgent entries for Ma¯ori babies doubled. For non-Ma¯ ori babies it stayed the same.

❚ State custody is intergenerational. Forty-eight per cent of women who had babies ordered to be removed from them before birth had been in state custody. That compared with 33 per cent of nonMa¯ ori pregnant women subject to the orders.

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