A System Under Pressure – What the Latest State Care Report Means for Workers and Young People

The recently released report Experiences of Care in Aotearoa 2024–2025 from the Independent Children’s Monitor provides a sobering assessment of how the state care system is performing. Once again, the report finds that the minimum care standards required under law are not being consistently met for tamariki and rangatahi in care.

From a union perspective, these findings are deeply concerning—but they are not surprising.

The report reflects what frontline workers have been saying for years: the system is under extreme pressure, and the people expected to deliver care are being asked to do so without the staffing levels, resources, and support they need.

A System Struggling to Meet Minimum Standards

The National Care Standards were introduced to ensure that children and young people in state care receive safe, stable and supportive care. Yet the latest monitoring report shows that only around a third of children in care have all key care indicators being met.

This includes basic requirements such as regular visits from social workers, up-to-date care plans, and ensuring that children have access to education and health services.

When these standards are not met, the consequences are not abstract. They are experienced directly by vulnerable young people who rely on the system for protection, stability, and support.

The Workforce Is Under Unsustainable Pressure

One of the clearest messages in the report is that social workers and care staff are struggling to do their jobs effectively.

Frontline workers describe being fatigued by constant change, heavy caseloads, and a lack of resources. The shortage of placements and support services makes their work even harder. Workers are often forced to spend valuable time negotiating access to services such as education support or mental health care rather than focusing on the needs of the child.

From a union perspective, this reflects a system that is severely understaffed and under-resourced.

Workers across residential services, community homes, and social work teams consistently report:

• High workloads and staffing shortages

• Difficulty accessing specialist support services for young people

• Increasing complexity in the needs of children and families

• Limited time to build meaningful relationships with young people

When the workforce is stretched beyond capacity, the ability to deliver safe, consistent, and therapeutic care is compromised.

Under-Resourcing Impacts Safety

The report also highlights troubling trends around harm occurring in care. Around ten percent of children in care were found to have been abused or neglected while in care during the reporting period.

Insufficient staffing levels can make it harder to safely manage challenging behaviour, support young people experiencing trauma, and maintain stable placements. Workers are expected to manage increasingly complex situations without the staffing ratios, training, and system support required to do so safely.

From the union’s perspective, safe staffing levels are fundamental to protecting both workers and the young people they care for.

A Fragmented System

Another major issue identified in the report is the lack of coordination between agencies. While the care standards apply to Oranga Tamariki and care providers, many of the services children rely on—such as health and education—sit with other government agencies.

Too often, frontline staff find themselves caught in disputes between agencies about funding responsibilities. Meanwhile, young people wait months or even years for the services they need.

This places additional pressure on already stretched workers who are left trying to fill gaps in the system.

Workers Want to Do the Job Properly

The workforce in this sector is deeply committed. These are professionals who have chosen careers supporting some of the most vulnerable children and young people in Aotearoa.

But commitment alone cannot compensate for systemic underinvestment.

Workers need:

• Safe staffing levels

• Access to specialist services for young people

• Adequate training and professional support

• Time to build relationships with the children in their care

• A system that supports them rather than working against them

  
  

Without these foundations, even the most dedicated workforce cannot consistently deliver the standard of care young people deserve.

The Way Forward

The findings of this report should serve as a wake-up call.

Improving outcomes for tamariki and rangatahi in care requires more than policy changes or new action plans. It requires sustained investment in the workforce and the services that support them.

If we are serious about protecting vulnerable children, we must ensure that the people responsible for their care are properly supported to do their jobs.

From a union perspective, the message is clear: safe staffing levels, adequate resourcing, and strong system support are essential—not optional.

Without these changes, the pressures identified in this report will continue to place both workers and young people at risk.

A system that asks workers to do more with less cannot deliver the care that tamariki and rangatahi deserve.

You can read the lastest reports here : https://aroturuki.govt.nz/reports/eoc-24-25