This report presents the findings of a year-long University of Otago research project which focused on preventing the removal of babies by the child protection system (The prevention project: supporting whānau and reducing baby removals). The issue of the removal of babies by Oranga Tamariki, particularly Māori babies, has gained widespread attention in the last two years. This research sought to understand what helps prevent this practice where possible.

Overall, findings suggest there are factors that directly affect parenting capacity that need to be addressed, as well as factors affecting the decision- making environment that are largely unrelated to parenting capacity, yet also affect the chances of removal. Both direct factors and decision-making environment factors need attention in order to prevent removal.

Other resources are available on the project website and more will be added in the future. Record #7077