Māori overrepresentation in care and protection of tamariki/mokopuna is continuing to rise, increasing the risk of incidents of child abuse and removal of mokopuna from whānau. However, resources for the care and protection of mokopuna have tended to overlook the contribution of positive change models initiated by Māori parents and grandparents. The aim of this research is to ascertain and articulate the positive contribution that can be made by Māori parents and grandparents to the care and protection of their tamariki/mokopuna. The qualitative research design used a narrative inquiry in semi-structured kanohi-ki-te-kanohi interviews to elicit stories from 10 Māori whānau parents and grandparents. Preliminary findings from the analysis indicate that there are a number of ways in which Māori parents and grandparents can better be supported to meet the needs of their children, once they have come to the attention of Child, Youth & Family Services (CYFS) and the Justice system. Preliminary findings also indicate that further training of the iwi/community social service sector, who work with parents and grandparents at the time of first contact and subsequently is required.
The research provided valuable insight into the positive contribution made by Māori parents and grandparents to the care and protection of tamariki/mokopuna. Subsequently, the research has used the stories gathered from whānau to set up a pilot study offering navigator services for whānau. The pilot, Mokopuna Ora, is a partnership between Waikato-Tainui and CYFS and seeks to address some of the key issues identified by whānau including the lack of information, knowledge and communication when interacting with the CYFS/Family Court system. Research results will be disseminated at a Research Hui in Whanganui early in 2016.
