Overseas holidays with usual caregiver/s must receive written consent from the parents/guardians of the mokopuna and must be approved by the site manager.
When a mokopuna is travelling overseas without their usual caregivers and staying with temporary/holiday caregivers, an overseas caregiver assessment and approval of these temporary/holiday caregivers must be completed.
Written consent for the travel is required from the parents/guardians of the mokopuna. If consent is given and the appropriate assessment conducted, approval for travel must then be obtained from the site manager. When the travel is for four or more weeks, approval from the regional manager is required.
When a mokopuna is to travel overseas on a school trip and their caregiver or a guardian is not accompanying them, the social worker must ascertain that the trip is appropriately organised and supervised. They must also receive written consent from the parents/guardians and have the travel arrangements approved by their site manager.
When a mokopuna travels overseas without a guardian, their social worker must ensure that the mokopuna has an identified adult who knows how to manage any decisions that may be required whilst away, including medical decisions. In some situations this may mean an adult being appointed by the Family Court to become a guardian for a specific purpose.
Overseas travel where consent from parents/guardians is not given cannot proceed without the direction of the Family Court. The chief executive can apply to be appointed as a guardian if he or she is not already. Application for additional guardianship can be sought generally or for the specific purpose of considering overseas travel. Once the chief executive is appointed as an additional guardian, an application can be made to the Court to determine the dispute between guardians pursuant to s115 of the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989.
Forms you'll need when arranging overseas travel or an overseas placement