Human barricade stops uplift of babies

Dozens of social workers stood outside a West Auckland hospital in a human barricade that ultimately stopped the uplifting of two babies from their mothers.

The incident happened yesterday when members of Te Wha¯nau o Waipareira, a social agency based in Henderson, arrived about 8am outside Waita¯kere Hospital’s maternity ward.

The agency had been tipped off that Oranga Tamariki was due to arrive to uplift two newborns and remove them from their respective families.

The uplifts did not happen, however, after up to 40 social workers intervened — physically standing outside the maternity ward and providing advice and support to the families by way of legal guidance from a lawyer. y

Oranga Tamariki deputy chief executive for children and families in the north, Glynis Sandland, said claims Oranga Tamariki attempted to bring a baby into its care without notice were incorrect. There had been no attempt to take the baby from the mum, she said.

“Oranga Tamariki had not yet made a decision about whether to remove this baby, and we are continuing to explore the best options for mother and child. Oranga Tamariki and its predecessors have been working with the mum for a number of years.

“During the pregnancy, we worked alongside her and the wider family to address serious safety concerns for the baby,” Sandland said.

She said the chief executive was granted interim custody under Section 78 to ensure the safety of the baby. Under the order, the baby can be placed in the care of any person and not necessarily taken from the mother, where there is appropriate support for both mother and baby.

“We have been working through a number of options with the parents and their wider family, and our shared goal is to find a way to keep mother and baby together and safe. We will continue to work towards this goal, and a further meeting is planned next week with iwi and community providers to discuss how we can work together, with mum and family being critical to decision-making.

Waipareira chief executive John Tamihere said: “The problem with that is that we’re just down the road here and they never contact us — never.”

Instead of reaching out to their agency — which offers support to predominantly Ma¯ori families around West Auckland — the group made moves that resulted in children being “ripped out of their mothers’ arms,” he said.