CEO Message June 2025
Kia ora
Winter is officially here – time to hunker down with warm milos, crockpot dinners and some extra snuggles with our four-legged friends, if you have them!
I hope the long King’s birthday weekend presents an opportunity for you to enjoy some extra family time. I am spending it in the sunny Wairarapa, with family and friends.
You may have seen coverage in the news recently of the Auditor-General’s inquiry into contract management at Oranga Tamariki (OT). This inquiry addressed concerns about decisions that were made by OT (for the 2024/25 financial year) over agreements with organisations like ours to deliver support to vulnerable children and families.
With the release of the Auditor-General’s report, I want to share with you that Caring Families Aotearoa was one of the many social service providers affected by these decisions.
Behind the scenes, I have advocated strongly for our organisation to ensure we have adequate funding to continue to support Aotearoa’s caregivers. While our operating budget was affected from the outset, we did manage to reach an amicable agreement. Sadly, this wasn’t the case for some NGOs working in the care sector – and my thoughts are with those who have been adversely impacted.
The Auditor-General’s report highlights some areas of improvement for OT within its contracting processes. It is heartening to see the Agency intends to take these on board, including a detailed analysis of the likely effect on children, young people, and the sustainability of the social services sector for future contracting rounds.
For now, please be assured that Caring Families Aotearoa will continue to be here for support, training, encouragement, information and advocacy, if you ever need it.
Noho ora mai (stay well, look after yourselves, goodbye)
Linda Surtees