TY  - SER
AU  - Keddell, Emily
AU  - Fitzmaurice, Luke
AU  - Cleaver, Kerri
AU  - Exeter, Daniel
TI  - A fight for legitimacy : : reflections on child protection reform, the reduction of baby removals, and child protection decision-making in Aotearoa New Zealand
PY  - 2022///
PB  - Taylor & Francis
KW  - Oranga Tamariki, Ministry for Children
KW  - CHILD PROTECTION
KW  - CHILD WELFARE
KW  - FAMILIES
KW  - INFANTS
KW  - INTERVENTION
KW  - MĀORI
KW  - MOTHERS
KW  - RACISM
KW  - SOCIAL POLICY
KW  - SOCIAL SERVICES
KW  - SOCIAL WORK
KW  - SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS
KW  - MĀMĀ
KW  - MĀTUA
KW  - PĒPĒ
KW  - TAMARIKI
KW  - TOKO I TE ORA
KW  - TURE WHĀNAU
KW  - WHĀNAU
KW  - NEW ZEALAND
N1  - Kōtuitui: New Zealand Journal of Social Sciences Online, 2022, First published online, 25 January 2022
N2  - The rate of orders used to remove babies into the care of Oranga Tamariki reduced by more than half in Aotearoa New Zealand in 2019–2020 as a result of rapid reform, prompted by a high profile media case known as the ‘Hawkes Bay case’. This case provoked social outrage, leading to media and public approbation, inquiries by state and Māori bodies, and advocacy from multiple organisations. Combined, these challenged the legitimacy of the child protection system and led to ‘legitimacy work’, that is, attempts by Oranga Tamariki to regain legitimacy with multiple publics. Access to the legal orders used to remove babies was immediately constricted. A sharp decline in baby removals followed, both overall and the disparities between Māori and non-Māori. The focus on disparity indicators alone, skewed by a focus on public legitimacy, had several unintended consequences. These included a lag between the constrictions on orders and other reforms aimed at addressing the inequities causing disparities, the diminishment of social worker discretion, and limited attention to other forms of system accountability. In the absence of other outcome indicators, particularly those defined by Māori and system-involved families, it is difficult to draw conclusions regarding the efficacy of these changes.

See related research and resources on the Prevention Project website - follow the link. Record #7484
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1080/1177083X.2021.2012490
UR  - https://blogs.otago.ac.nz/prevention/
ER  -