Communities 'really like the direction' Oranga Tamariki is heading, Children's Minister Kelvin Davis says

Children's Minister Kelvin Davis is confident Oranga Tamariki is heading in the right direction after the Government began an overhaul of the child welfare agency last year.

In September, the Government accepted all of the recommendations made by a ministerial advisory board asked to investigate Oranga Tamariki's relationships with whānau, iwi and Māori.

At the time, Davis said the biggest change would be decentralising much of the ministry's decision-making and funding local communities instead.

Davis told The Hui on Monday a lot of work had gone into compiling Oranga Tamariki's future direction plan and the foundations were starting to be laid.

But Davis admitted the changes wouldn't happen overnight.

"This is the legacy that we're trying to turn around… [at] one of my hui in the Hokianga last week, I was at a marae where three marae were represented. They said 'We had a visit from Oranga Tamariki onto one of our marae' and they said they really like the direction because you're talking about communities taking control - getting the resources.

"Previously, promises had been made where communities would be able to make decisions but the resources didn't follow. I'm adamant that the resources will follow," Davis said.

Watch the full interview above.

Made with support from Te Māngai Pāho and the Public Interest Journalism Fund.