Oranga Tamariki social workers are repeatedly failing to attend multi-agency safety meetings designed to protect vulnerable children, prompting a direct public criticism from Ruth Money, a senior figure in the family violence sector.

Money told RNZ on 17 June 2026 that the no-shows are "infuriating" and put children's lives at risk. When Oranga Tamariki workers don't turn up to these coordination meetings, the information-sharing that keeps vulnerable children safe falls apart. Other agencies present — police, health workers, school staff — cannot fill that gap on their own.

These meetings are the central mechanism through which different agencies manage cases where children face serious or worsening harm. Oranga Tamariki's attendance matters because the agency holds statutory responsibility — under the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 — for child protection decisions, and its workers hold case information that other agencies cannot access. When that seat is empty, that information stays locked away.

This pattern is widely recognised among child protection workers across Aotearoa. Oranga Tamariki has faced sustained scrutiny over its workload, staff turnover, and whether its frontline team can keep pace with the number of cases it handles — issues documented in successive reviews. No-shows at multi-agency meetings are one visible symptom of that broader strain, though individual absences may have straightforward explanations.

Under the Oranga Tamariki Act, the agency must also appoint a youth advocate for any young person referred for a family group conference in the youth justice system — a legislative requirement that reflects Parliament's expectation the agency shows up fully for young people. That practice standard sits on the agency's own website. Attendance at multi-agency safety meetings carries no equivalent legislative requirement, which may explain why the behaviour has persisted.

Money's framing — "a risk to life" — is not sensationalism. In a sector where serious harm and child death reviews repeatedly identify poor communication between agencies as a contributing factor, her language directly reflects findings from multiple Mortality Review Committee reports and the 2021 independent review into the care system. The question of what happens when agencies don't communicate is not abstract.

What remains unclear is the scale: how often these no-shows happen, whether particular regions or offices are affected more, and what Oranga Tamariki's leadership has said in response. The agency had not publicly addressed Money's comments at the time of reporting.

Timing adds weight to the criticism. Oranga Tamariki is still working through reforms that followed the Rapid Review of 2022 and the subsequent Government Policy Statement on Child and Youth Wellbeing. Minister for Children Karen Chhour has said accountability and frontline performance are priorities. No-shows at safety meetings sit uneasily against that commitment.

Money's public call-out on RNZ—a platform with significant reach—means the issue will not be quietly shelved. Multi-agency meetings are relatively low-cost compared to alternatives like crisis responses or care placements. When they work, they work because everyone relevant is present.