On behalf of the Board and management of The Open Home Foundation of NZ I apologise unreservedly if you, or one of your family members, was abused or harmed while in our care. We recognise that caring for someone else’s tamariki and rangatahi is a privilege.

Mō te taha o te Poari me te whakahaere o Te Whare Kaupapa Āwhina o Aotearoa ka tino whakaparahāko ahau ki te mea i tūkinotia koe, i tetahi rānei o tō whānau, i tūkinotia i roto i a tātou e tiaki ana. E mōhio ana mātou he painga te manaaki i nga tamariki me ngā rangatahi.

If we didn’t listen to you or your whānau or take you seriously when you told us about abuse, we are truly sorry. We are sorry if those we made responsible for caring for you did not provide you with the unconditional love, care, and support that you needed and expected.

Ki te kore mātou i whakarongo ki a koe, ki tō whānau rānei, ki te whakaaro nui rānei ki a koe i to korero mai mō te tūkino, kei te tino pouri mātou. E pouri ana mātou ki te kore e whakawhiwhia e te hunga i whakatauhia e mātou te tiaki i a koe i te aroha kore, te manaaki, me te tautoko e hiahiatia ana e koe.

Your time in Open Home care should have been characterised by safety and unconditional love. You should have known why you were in care and, you should have been part of the planning for your care and, wherever possible, your return home to your family or whānau.

Ko tō wā i roto i te tiaki i Te Whare Kaupapa Āwhina me tohu e te haumaru me te aroha kore. Me mōhio koe he aha koe i tiaki ai, me whai waahi koe ki te whakamahere mō tō tiaki ,me ngā wāhi katoa ka taea, tō hokinga ki tō kainga ki tō whānau, whānau rānei.

We must continue to do better, which is why we are committed to Open Home’s journey to being Trauma Informed. This means ensuring all staff and foster parents receive Trauma Informed training specific to their roles.

Me kaha tonu mātou ki te mahi pai ake, koia te take i u tonu ai mātou ki te haerenga o Te Whare Kaupapa Āwhina ki te Whakamōhiotia te Ngaukino. Ko te tikanga o te whakarite kia whiwhi ngā kaimahi katoa me ngā mātua whāngai i ngā whakangungu Whakamohiotanga Ngaukino mō o raatau mahi.

With what we now know about Trauma Informed Care and Social Work, we wish we could turn back the clock for you and every child and young person ever cared for by the Open Home Foundation since 1977. We know that bringing a Trauma Informed lens to all we do would have helped us see you as someone who had suffered trauma and was therefore in need of unconditional support and love.

Nā ngā mea e mōhio ana mātou inaianei mō te Tiaki i te Ngaukino me te Mahi Hapori, e hiahia ana mātou ki te whakahoki i te karaka mō koe me ngā tamariki katoa me ngā taiohi kua tiakina e te Whare Kaupapa Āwhina mai i te tau 1977. E mōhio ana mātou ko te kawe mai i te arotahi mohiotia ngaukino ki ngā mahi katoa ka awhina mātou ki te kite i a koe he tangata kua pā ki te mamae, na reira i matea e koe te tautoko me te aroha.

If you would like to talk to us about our redress process, please contact us. We are happy to talk with you either in person, on-line, in writing, or through someone you trust to support or represent you.

Mēnā kei te pirangi koe ki te korero ki a mātou mō tō mātou tukanga whakatika hapa, me waea mai ki a mātou. E harikoa ana mātou ki te korero ki a koe ma te tangata, ma te ipurangi, ma te tuhi, ma te tangata e whakawhirinaki ana koe hei tautoko, hei kanohi rānei mō koe.