Children in care placed with young offenders
Children in care and protection are being placed in young offender remand homes when Oranga Tamariki can’t find better accommodation.
It’s drawn stern criticism from the Children’s Commissioner, Judge Frances Eivers, who says it is completely inappropriate for young people solely under care and protection custody orders to be held in a remand setting.
The issue was first revealed as part of a monitoring report compiled by the Office of the Children’s Commissioner into Will Street Whare, a youth justice facility based in Dunedin.
Oranga Tamariki has since admitted Will Street is not the only home this happens at, but says the option is only used in urgent circumstances.
Remand homes are used as a therapeutic alternative to largescale youth justice facilities. They are community-based and hold young offenders going through the youth justice system who are not at risk of reoffending or of committing serious violence.
However, the report has revealed that children in care, not accused of any crime, were sometimes held at the Oranga Tamariki remand home in Dunedin.
It was one of several monitoring reports from July 2021 to March 2022, released by the Children’s Commissioner’s office on its website.
As part of its responsibilities, the office monitors places of youth detention in New Zealand. These can include youth justice remand homes, youth justice residences and care and protection residences.
The office also produces reports and makes recommendations for improvements where required.
‘‘Many staff and stakeholders we spoke to commented on the inappropriateness of children and young people subject to care and protection custody orders being placed in a remand setting,’’ the report stated.
Oranga Tamariki general manager of Youth Justice Residences and Community Homes, Parani Wiki (Te Aupo¯ uri), said it was an absolute last resort option and only used in extreme circumstances – ‘‘where the only other alternative would have led to [them] being placed, potentially, in a motel or away from the community and support network’’.
It could happen when there had been a last minute breakdown in a family with no other stable accommodation options, Wiki said.
But Children’s Commissioner Eivers said she was not impressed. ‘‘The structure of the home, the therapeutic support, and the staff training is designed to work with young people with offending behaviours, and simply cannot safely expand to respond to care and protection needs as well,’’ Eivers said.
A clinical psychologist at Umbrella Wellbeing and Victoria University said the situation carried real danger and risk.
Dougal Sutherland said young people coming from a care and protection background may be experiencing feelings of rejection, and placing them in a youth justice home would likely add to that.