The New Zealand National Care Standards (NCS) Regulations came into effect in 2019, and set out the minimum standard of care that must be provided when the state has custody of a child. This is Oranga Tamariki's fifth report on compliance with the NCS Regulations. It finds that children and youth are still not receiving the minimum standard of care required by the NCS Regulations.

This article highlights New Zealand’s kinship care movement, where relatives or close family friends step in to care for children when parents are unable to.

This report presents findings from a small-scale qualitative study commissioned by Family for Every Child, examining how kinship care is understood and experienced in Aotearoa New Zealand. It explores the challenges faced by kinship carers and their support needs.

The article reports that New Zealand has temporarily suspended recognition of many international adoptions — especially those from Samoa — citing concerns over cases of abuse after children adopted overseas arrived in New Zealand.

After last year’s budget cuts to social services, including a NZ$14 million cut to early home visits, social services providers in New Zealand raised concerns about what the move would mean for children and families needing support.

The 2025 State of Care report by VOYCE – Whakarongo Mai shares the experiences of children and young people in care in New Zealand, focusing on whether they feel truly cared for rather than just how the system performs. Co-written with care-experienced youth, the report amplifies their voices to highlight what is working, what needs to change, and their hopes and recommendations for improving the care system.

Historic apology by PM Christopher Luxon comes after landmark report that exposed decades of abuse in state and faith-based care institutions.

PM declares ‘dark and sorrowful day’ as royal commission details decades of abuse in state and faith-based institutions

This study offers an updated review and analysis of policy reforms across both the child protection and youth justice systems in jurisdictions such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States, targeting researchers, policymakers, and practitioners in the field.

This practitioner guidance paper outlines the work of the Pillars Ka Pou Whakahou -- a charity based in New Zealand that provides support for the children and families of those in prison by providing wraparound support for these families, with home-based social work and a youth mentoring programme.