60178 (2024). Kahurangi Carter to the Minister for Children

60178 (2024). Kahurangi Carter to the Minister for Children: What, if anything, is she doing to increase the number of caregivers being visited by their social worker at the frequency indicated in their support plan?

Hon Karen Chhour: The Independent Children’s Monitor’s reported that in 2022/2023, 47 percent of caregivers had been visited at the frequency indicated in their support plan. While I do not consider this satisfactory, I do note it is a significant improvement on the year prior, which was only 29 percent. I was also encouraged that the percentage of caregivers who received the support described in their support plan had increased from 48 percent to 79 percent, and most caregivers reported being satisfied or very satisfied in the 2022 Oranga Tamariki Caregiver Survey. Despite some encouraging progress, I accept there is much work ahead to further improve the experiences of caregivers. This is why I made caregiver satisfaction one of five key performance measures I have instructed Oranga Tamariki to report on quarterly.