We modify our usual social work practice approach in the context of a measles or whooping cough outbreak to prevent the transmission of the viruses. Measles, whooping cough and immunisation

Page URL: https://practice.orangatamariki.govt.nz/previous-practice-centre/policy/when-children-and-young-people-move/
Printed: 06/12/2024
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When children and young people move (including overseas)

Updated: 22 July 2024

This policy outlines requirements when mokopuna are living outside their home country. There is a new policy for casework responsibilities when our work involves more than 1 site – when tamariki are living outside their normal area or travelling within New Zealand. There is also a separate travel policy.

Policy: Casework responsibilities when our work involves more than 1 site

Policy: Travel

Practice framework prompts for this policy

Our practice framework helps us make sense of and organise our practice so it is framed in te Tiriti o Waitangi (the Treaty of Waitangi), and draws from te ao Māori principles of oranga, within the context of our role in statutory child protection and youth justice in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Overseas placement

Mokopuna in the custody of the chief executive, or for whom the chief executive is party to a plan resulting from a family group conference, will only be placed overseas under exceptional circumstances when:

  • the overseas placement is in their best interests, and
  • the overseas authority has recommended that the proposed caregivers are safe and suitable, and
  • the chief executive's legal obligations have been discharged by the court or any plan the chief executive is party to has been reviewed and concluded, and
  • upon departure from New Zealand, the case is closed, and
  • the mokopuna is able to permanently reside in the relevant country, and
  • the new caregivers are able and willing to legally assume custody and guardianship of the mokopuna.

Overseas placement is a guardianship decision and the consent of all guardians in writing must be obtained prior to the placement being made. This includes consent from any additional guardians granted under the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 or the Care of Children Act 2004. If the guardians are not in agreement about the overseas placement, the Family Court must make the final decision.

The placement must be approved by the DCE Tamariki and Whānau Services.

When the family group conference is being held as a result of a section 19 referral by a Child and Family Support Service, that service is responsible for taking adequate steps to check that the prospective caregivers are able to adequately meet the care and protection needs of the mokopuna.