March 2025 Funding update

Oranga Tamariki has confirmed it will be extending our contract and funding until 30 June 2025.  This covers the nine-week period between 22 April (the current contract finishing date) and 30 June.

This means that [there will be no change to current contract commitments until at least 30 June, 2025 / we will continue to pause on planned activities until we have a greater level of certainty].

Importantly, Oranga Tamariki has confirmed it is working with the Minister for Children on the scope and implementation of her announcement of 30 January 2025 regarding funding being extended to December 2025.

We remain hopeful we will be included in this group of social providers, and that we will be able to continue the ongoing delivery of our specialised trauma treatment, intensive family wraparound support and family therapy services.  Currently we are supporting 4,000 children and 1,000 families across the country.

As a ‘strong fence on the top of the cliff’ for significantly at-risk children and their whanau, we are committed to doing everything we can to protect the people we support.  We continue to explore all options available to us.

We will update you once we know more. 

Thank you for your ongoing support.

#StandForStand

Richard Parry
NZ Herald interviews our East Coast Manager about funding lifeline

“My first thought and my heart went straight to the tamariki. All I was worried about was them,” Milner said. “How would we tell them that we would have to stop providing the support we do?

“We are often the last resort for a lot of tamariki and whānau. If we closed, where would they go?”

#StandForStand

Richard Parry
Temporary funding measure has been agreed to

Stand Tū Māia charitable trust says it has reached a resolution with Oranga Tamariki that provides a four-month lifeline for its critical service. The resolution means the parties will not go to Court to hear the Stand Tū Māia application for an injunction against Oranga Tamariki for alleged breach of contract.

Stand Tū Māia and Oranga Tamariki have agreed an end date for current contractual arrangements at 22 April 2024. The parties will meet early next year to discuss potential future Oranga Tamariki procurement and contracting processes.

Chief Executive Dr Fiona Inkpen says the resolution provides some immediate certainty for the high-risk children and families supported by Stand Tū Māia, but there is still uncertainty about the long-term future.

“The agreement gives us time to have a further conversation with the Government to determine if there is a desire to retain the service and what will happen to support these vulnerable children and their families in the future.

“We want to thank Andrew Bridgman, Acting CE of Oranga Tamariki for playing a key role in making this resolution happen.

READ THE FULL MEDIA RELEASE HERE

This will allow our service to remain open until April of 2025.

We will continue to need the support of our community and whanau to build a consistent future after that - so please, #StandForStand and make your voices heard.

Richard Parry
NZ Herald interviews our Northern Manager about funding termination

In Northland, Stand Tū Māia works in partnership with iwi, hapū and other agencies as well as schools across the region from the Hokianga to Whangārei.

Northland regional manager Rosey Davies said she did not know what the news meant for the 230 children under their services.

Another 50 are on the waitlist.

“As we broke the news to whanāu that we were working with over the last few years, we’ve held our parents as they’ve cried,” Davies said.

“They’ve expressed their disbelief, their anger and their despair and questioned ‘who is going to help us now?’.”

#standforstand

Richard Parry
Stand Tū Māia sues Children’s Ministry for breach of contract

Stand Tū Māia charitable trust today confirmed that it is taking Oranga Tamariki to Court for breaching a three-year integrated contract, worth $21 million a year (excluding pay equity).

Chief Executive Dr Fiona Inkpen said the Trust had been forced to bring court action to hold the Ministry to its contractual obligations and prevent the Ministry from acting as though the contract has been cancelled.

“We strongly believe Oranga Tamariki has committed an egregious breach of good faith in attempting to terminate our integrated contract at short notice, threatening our ability to provide specialist services to thousands of vulnerable children and their families.

MEDIA RELEASES

Media Release

PSA Media Release

MEDIA COVERAGE

Story in ‘The Post’

Story in the NZ Herald

Story in the times.co.nz

Richard Parry
Happy International Children's Day

And Happy 30th Anniversary of UNCROC, Stand Tu Maia is delighted that the Prime Minister has today announced that the government will recommit to the Children’s Convention. It signals a real commitment to putting the rights and wellbeing of children at the centre of government policy and action.

The Childrens’s Commission has released a handy pocket edition of the convention, including in te reo. You can find it here https://www.occ.org.nz/publications/resources/uncrc-30th-edition?fbclid=IwAR2Qn_qT59pl_2A1k7i5X_cTFc0XLABAV7OEEnUbm0208RE6d2yGQLLhFd0

Richard Parry
Christchurch village celebrates Theraplay workshop

The completion of our very first Theraplay Parent Training – thanks to the parents who all showed incredible courage and insight in their reflections much respect to them all. Thanks also to Kelvin Love and Tony Kalauta who supported the program preparation and delivery. Amazing mahi!

 

theraplay.jpg

Christchurch will be doing more of these workshops - see the flyer below for more information.

Theraplay Parent Workshop Blurb.jpg
Stand Admin
Check Mate!

Thanks to our wonderful volunteer Walt at Stand Christchurch, we will very shortly have a chess board. The children await with eager anticipation!

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Richard Parry
A letter from Remi

One of our teachers at the Northern village got this lovely letter from one of the tamariki on a recent intake

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You might not know that each of our villages has a complete school to work with the kids on their education when they're with us. This kind of letter makes it all worthwhile.

Richard Parry
Beautiful murals created by the Midland tamariki

The children from Midland’s Intake #1 (with a little bit of  help from the Therapeutic Care and Education team) have made these four beautiful, huge murals to brighten up our walls in the village. Aren’t they spectacular?

 

Richard Parry