Oranga Tamariki; key roles to be disestablished

[Lilith7]

Fantastic; this govt shows it has the very best interests of children at heart.


Oh, no hang on, that must be some other country, one where the govt actually has the best interests of its children first & foremost.


https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/national/...d655&ei=16

Documents obtained by Newshub show key roles at Oranga Tamariki are set to be disestablished.
Roles at the ministry's international child protection team, which helped care for unaccompanied child refugees and investigate complex exploitation cases, face the axe.
Amnesty International and the Chief Children's Commissioner are both concerned such changes could impact New Zealand's ability to uphold United Nations obligations.
Hundreds of Afghanis came to New Zealand on a New Zealand Defence Force plane, including 15 unaccompanied children.
Then in 2022, there was a complex investigation into the exploitation of Chinese child acrobats here as part of the travelling show Zirka Circus.
They were eventually uplifted and flown home to their parents. 
The international child protection unit at Oranga Tamariki was involved with both events, but the unit now faces significant cuts.
"Before implementing any changes, the Government must consider their ability to meet human rights obligations here and overseas," said Lisa Woods, campaign director at Amnesty International.
Consultation documents obtained by Newshub show 17 advisory roles would be slashed to just six.
The role of General Manager for international casework would be disestablished, along with the manager of international child protection. The national management role would also go.
Oranga Tamariki proposed the separate national and international teams be "consolidated" into one team.
"The question should be 'what more could we be doing?' Not taking away," Woods told Newshub.
"I am aware that this unit undertakes specialist, complex, cross-border child protection work. This includes working to support children who are, for example, stateless, trafficked, arrive in our country as unaccompanied minor refugees, and children who are in need of intercountry adoption."
She also said it may affect how we uphold our international obligations to the UN, and the child protection-focused Hague Conventions. 
Children's Minister Karen Chhour would not comment on the documents obtained except to say it's just a proposal.
"It's my expectation that the best interests of our children will be at the forefront of our decision making," Chhour told Newshub.

Really? Or is cutting back to save money for those tax breaks more important...?