Abuse in foster care
The foster care investigation was part of a wider set of investigations into abuse in youth justice care and social welfare settings. It examined abuse in State-based foster and family home placements in Aotearoa New Zealand between 1950 and 1999.
When the State intervened, foster care was where many children were placed, after being taken from their family, whānau, hapū and iwi. Because most survivors we have heard from spent time in foster care, it is necessary to look deeply into the causes and effects of abuse in foster care environments. Foster care is also a challenging contemporary issue, and with what we learn we can influence change to protect children in care now and in the future.