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Oranga Tamariki practice of motel accommodation continues despite calls to stop

Oranga Tamariki does not know how or when it will be able to avoid using motels. Photo: RNZ Children in Oranga Tamariki care are still being checked into motels despite years of calls to stop. The Children's Commissioner said the "unacceptable" practice had become normalised, and the agency itself agreed it was not okay. But Oranga Tamariki did not yet know how or when it could avoid using motels. "No one really thinks it's ideal that children and young people stay in motels," said tamariki and whānau services national commissioner North Alison Cronin. "I think it's still happening because we really do have a lack of ... immediate resources for children who are coming into care, or their placements may have broken down." Figures released to RNZ showed in 2022, 224 children in Oranga Tamariki care stayed in motels. That dropped to 187 in 2023, then 185 last year. In the first five months of this year, 99 have stayed in motels. Since 2022 the most common length of stay was one night, but the average was 19 nights - which Oranga Tamariki said was skewed due to the few who had longer stays, some for more than 100 nights. Motels were only used as a last resort "following a careful exploration of possible alternatives," the agency said. Some children were placed in motels because of "extremely challenging" behaviours that put themselves or others at risk. For others, Oranga Tamariki said it was better for the children to be in a place where it's easier to keep up family contact, go to school or access support services while a longer term placement was being arranged. The young people - which include babies less than a year old - are cared for by family members, care providers or "briefly" by Oranga Tamariki staff. They were supported to maintain their routines like school, community activities, and contact with family, it said. Cronin said Oranga Tamariki was exploring how to stop the use of motels, but she could not give a timeframe on that piece of work. "We haven't quite got the answers at the moment," she said. "I think one of the the major issues is we don't have enough physical homes or houses or places for children to stay, which is why we end up defaulting to motels." Children's Commissioner Dr Claire Achmad said that it was isolating and unstable for children. "If we look at the data, it's clear that unfortunately this practice has become somewhat normalised over the last few years and Oranga Tamariki needs to focus on it as one of the basics that it needs to get right, and it needs to change," she said. "It needs to increase its availability of pre-approved caregivers and over the long term, I'd really like to see more community based group home living environments available for children in need of care and protection." Achmad also wanted people across the country to consider becoming caregivers. "I encourage people to step up and consider whether they might be able to take on this kind of role, which can make a huge difference for children and young people." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.