Guidance
Working with tamariki aged under 5 years
We support tamariki and whānau or family to describe, determine, realise and sustain their oranga. Tamariki aged under 5 years have particular vulnerabilities that impact their experience of oranga. Te Toka Tūmoana and Va'aifetū support our mahi.Ahakoa he iti, he pounamu – although you are small, you are precious.
Updates made to this guidance
Supporting practice
Our practice is supported by our practice framework (encompassing our models and practice standards), our care standards, and tools and resources.
Rights of tamariki and their whānau or family
Ngākau whakairo is the practice framework domain that covers rights, values and professional obligations. This is the heart of our work embedded within our practice.
For tamariki Māori, te Tiriti o Waitangi (the Treaty of Waitangi) is foundational to the context and application of their rights. At the heart of te Tiriti (the Treaty) for Oranga Tamariki is the expectation that we will protect and uphold the familial structures of whānau, hapū and iwi as having the key role and responsibility for the oranga of tamariki Māori. The Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 sets out the duties of Oranga Tamariki in relation to te Tiriti (the Treaty) where the chief executive is required to improve outcomes for tamariki Māori. This includes giving effect to the principles of mana tamaiti, whakapapa and whanaungatanga.
Practice standard: Whakamana te tamaiti – Practice empowering tamariki Maori
The special vulnerability of tamariki is recognised by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRoC), which underlines the need to extend special care and protection to tamariki on grounds of physical and mental immaturity while balancing the rights of whānau or family to provide care for their tamariki. Despite tamariki aged under 5 years being young, they still have the right to have their views heard and wishes respected. In addition, tamariki Māori have particular protection under UNCRoC and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP) as indigenous children. For example, the conventions protect the rights of tamariki Māori to enjoy and participate in their culture, religion and language.
We build understanding to support our mahi
Whai mātauranga is the practice framework domain that focuses on the pursuit of knowledge and understanding. This includes the mana-enhancing paradigm, partnering to build understanding, and knowledge and research.
Most cultures have narratives about the significance and preciousness of tamariki. Many cultures have ideas about collective caring, family offering extended networks of support and tamariki being a blessing not just for their parents but for the wider family. It is important when working with family or whānau to understand what ideas about the place of te tamaiti apply within their family relationships and cultural context.
Te Ao Māori
Tamariki Māori are born into the whakapapa of their whānau, hapū and iwi. Traditional Māori parenting has been described as a kinship parenting system, with whānau investing in the long-term development of tamariki to meet their full potential through cultural practices to ensure their safety and wellbeing. Moko can be translated as tattoo or blueprint and puna refers to a wellspring – therefore the mokopuna is regarded as a reflection of their tūpuna.
The underlying belief is that mokopuna are gifts from Ngā Atua (gods) and tūpuna through their genealogy, which means that they are tapu, special and protected under specific rules, and any negativity expressed to them is violating their tapu. A mokopuna is the centre of whānau life. Mokopuna are born tapu and as infants depend on their whānau to protect and care for their development and safety. This requires tapu restrictions that guide behaviours as a protective mechanism.
Tiaki mokopuna is a cultural protective principle that asserts the collective roles, responsibilities and obligations to care for, make safe, support and protect pēpi. The principle is founded in customary beliefs and, when applied within the whānau context, has the transformative potential to guide and strengthen strategies for mokopuna care and safety. The principle of tiaki mokopuna reintroduces the notion that mokopuna are taonga.
Tiaki mokopuna integrates 4 functions described as key to the care and upbringing of mokopuna Māori:
- the significance of mokopuna
- tamariki belong to whānau, hapū and iwi
- the rights and responsibilities for raising tamariki are shared
- tamariki have rights and responsibilities to their whānau.
Tiaki mokopuna also promotes the care, safety and protection of tamariki Māori within extended whānau networks, moving out to trusted community members, service providers where support is required and, lastly, on some occasions, to a statutory child protection worker.
Wāhine Māori play a specific role within cultural practices used for protecting whakapapa and advancing long-term sustainability of whānau, hapū and iwi. Tāne Māori influence the health and oranga of their offspring and posterity. Both mareikura (female) and whatukura (male) contribute to tiaki mokopuna. Kaitiaki roles for wāhine and tāne Māori are essential in modelling healthy relationships and behaviours for mokopuna to create safe environments conducive to their strong, confident development.
Tiaki mokopuna strategies founded on cultural beliefs, principles and customary practice include the strengthening of whānau participation, building relationships and increasing cultural knowledge to advance whānau capacity to care for mokopuna.
Pacific communities
The child is a gift from God to a Pacific family, a source of joy and pride, the realisation and embodiment of the next generation. The child is immediately associated with the identities and legacies of their parents, ancestors, people, lands, and cultures. By birth right, a child is entitled to their kin and vice versa.
The Pacific child traditionally belongs to a 'collective' – a wide network of people connected to the child, including parents, step-parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins and others, living both in Aotearoa New Zealand and overseas. The extent of collective involvement and the roles of those in the collective can vary between families and cultures, so it is important to explore who is involved and the views they hold about the child, their oranga, and the needs of the family. For example, aunties and uncles may play important roles in decision-making about a child, alongside grandparents.
The values of respect and responsibility are important for Pacific families, especially as they relate to the youngest children in the family. It is common across Pacific cultures for there to be a hierarchy within a family due to birth order, which may or may not be gender based, where the eldest child has responsibility for supporting the family and caring for and protecting younger siblings. Conversely the younger siblings are expected to respect the authority of the older siblings.
Pacific peoples' perception of child rights is connected to their expectations of children and, while all Pacific cultures understand the sacredness of a child, the notion that a child has the same independent and equal rights as an adult goes against norms, political and social practices and traditions.
All caregiver perceptions of discipline, abuse or neglect are influenced by many things, including parental history, surrounding norms, religion, status of children, what constitutes harm and what is criminal. Pacific families with both parents working long hours may rely on older siblings to provide care or supervision, traditional health practices may influence engagement with western medical services or the emotional harm of exposure to violence may be minimised as it is not a physical injury. We need to understand the views, values and beliefs of the family so our considerations cover the best options for working with the family to address any concerns for the safety or care of the child. Tiaki Oranga and Organising my Practice can help with deepening our understanding of oranga, with a focus on safety.
Seek cultural support and advice on working with families from different Pacific nations.
Understanding protective and care needs for tamariki aged under 5 years
Our youngest tamariki have some specific vulnerabilities because of their age and developmental stage. These vulnerabilities require us to be extra vigilant when understanding their protection and care needs.
Pregnancy and early birth have particular risks for both whaea and pēpi. When working with someone who is hapū or who has the care of a newborn pēpi or infant, we need to be mindful of the key areas that support relating, building understanding and planning with whānau and family. We need to keep in mind and be respectful of the importance of this time, the special bonding pēpi or infant need and always keep this at the centre of our actions and kōrero.
Strengthening our response to unborn and newborn pēpi
Breastfeeding – caring for and nurturing a pēpi
Physical harm can have a significant impact on their developing bodies and their oranga. Bruising is the most common presentation of physical abuse in tamariki. Bruising is not common in pēpi or infants if they are non-mobile and is extremely rare in infants under 6 months – 'children who don't cruise, don't bruise'. As such, we need to carefully explore any bruising or symptom of injury located on a non-mobile pēpi or infant – even one bruise may be highly significant and warrant further investigation.
Abusive head trauma (shaken baby syndrome) is serious and can result in severe disability and even death. Pēpi are particularly vulnerable to injury from shaking – it may only take one or two hard shakes to seriously injure a pēpi. We should work with whānau or family to seek urgent medical attention if we suspect that a pēpi has been shaken or injured.
Child Protection Protocol (CPP)
Tamariki rely on adults for all of their care needs. Our youngest tamariki are non-verbal or are limited in their ability to verbally communicate, and often have limited involvement in environments outside of the immediate whānau or family. This means:
- they have limited ability to protect themselves, remove themselves from a dangerous or non-responsive environment or seek help for themselves
- their parents' mental health and capacity to provide safe care has a significant impact
- it can be harder for professionals or others in the community to notice when a whānau or family needs support – parents and tamariki can become isolated at this time, particularly if te tamaiti is not attending kohanga or preschool or they don’t have much contact outside of their home
- their needs can become lost within the more obvious or vocal needs of older tamariki.
Infancy and early childhood are important periods for shaping the hinengaro (brain) systems and ngākau (emotional wellbeing) of tamariki so they can form close and healthy emotional relationships to their parents, carers and whānau or family.
Infancy and early childhood are also important periods for ensuring the tinana (physical health) needs of tamariki are considered. Exposure to illness can impact significantly and result in quick deterioration of physical health due to their small size, vulnerable bodies and inability to communicate what symptoms of illness they are experiencing. The protection of their bodies and health with a safe sleeping space and smoke-free air also needs to be considered.
If te tamaiti has additional developmental, disability or health needs (such as low birth weight, premature birth, prenatal exposure to drugs or alcohol, problems feeding or prolonged crying), their vulnerabilities are escalated.
Tamariki under 5 years old are especially vulnerable to the impacts of cumulative harm (the effects of patterns of harm over time) due to their dependence on adults, close proximity to the effects of whānau and family stress, and rapidly developing physical and mental capabilities. For these reasons, repeat episodes of harm can have a profound impact on their development.
The impact of family violence on the family, whānau, hapū and iwi also affects the tamariki. They can be accidentally caught in the middle of adult violence – being held by a parent while an assault occurs – or have their needs ignored while parental conflict occurs. Hurting tamariki does not have to involve being hit – they can be harmed by growing up with family violence, which violates their tapu and tramples their mana.
Testing, reflecting on and developing our ways of being and working
Whai ākona is the practice framework domain that focuses on the pursuit of best practice, and covers reflexive practice, supervision and coaching.
Our practice is deepened when we continue to test, reflect on and develop our ways of being and working. The following prompts support our practice and can be used as we pause, reflect and progress our mahi with this group of tamariki:
- Given their vulnerability, what does oranga look like for te tamaiti and how does my engagement with the whānau or family support working towards this vision of oranga?
- How am I paying attention to the wider context for te tamaiti, using my observations and knowledge of harmful characteristics to inform my understanding of what is happening and what te tamaiti might need?
- Do I have sufficient understanding of the cultural context and developmental needs of te tamaiti, or do I need to seek additional support or knowledge? If so, how will I access this knowledge while continuing to value the narrative of this whānau or family?
- Who else can help me build my understanding of te tamaiti in the context of their whānau or family?
- How am I recognising and valuing the special place of tamariki within their family, whānau, hapū and iwi, the importance of whakapapa and whanaungatanga relationships and how these offer solutions for future planning?