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Child, Youth and Family residences provide both care and protection and youth justice programmes for children and young people aged 8 to 16 years. Admission to a residence only happens when there are no other practical alternatives or when the child’s continued presence in the community is a threat to their own safety or the safety of others. There are seven residences around New Zealand.
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When are they used?
Youth justice admissions
Children and young people can be admitted to a residence when:
- they have been arrested by the Police
- they have been remanded by the Court
- the charge against them is proved in the Youth Court, and the Court makes an order placing them in a residence for three months (Supervision with Residence Order)
- they have been sentenced to imprisonment.
Care and protection referrals
Children and young people may be admitted to residences when their behaviour is a danger to themselves or others, and that danger can only be reduced by 24-hour supervision.
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Where are the residences?
Child, Youth and Family has five residences throughout New Zealand providing care and protection and youth justice programmes, and one sexual abusers' centre operated by Barnados:
- Korowai Manaaki Youth Justice Residence is situated in Wiri, South Auckland. The residence can accommodate up to 46 young people.
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Whakatakapokai is a 20-bed care and protection residence in Weymouth, South Auckland.
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Epuni Care and Protection Residence in Lower Hutt, near Wellington, accommodates up to 10 care and protection children and young people. It also provides 10 beds for children and young people with severe conduct disorders.
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Lower North Youth Justice Residential Centre is a youth justice residence in Palmerston North that accommodates up to 30 children and young people.
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Te Puna Wai o Tuhinapo is located in Rolleston, which is a small town on the western outskirts of Christchurch. This is a 32-bed youth justice residence.
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Te Oranga Care and Protection Residence can accommodate 10 children or young people. The Residence is situated in the suburb of Shirley in Christchurch.
- Puketai Residential Centre is a care and protection residence in Dunedin with accommodation for eight children and young people.
All Child, Youth and Family residences have secure units.
Full contact details for residences are available in the Contact us section of this website.
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How long do people stay in a residence?
Youth justice
Young people (aged 14–16) charged with an offence and placed or detained in the custody of the Chief Executive of Child, Youth and Family, may be placed in a residence until they appear in the Youth Court. The law requires that young people who have been arrested are brought before the Youth Court as soon as possible.
When young people are admitted on remand, they usually remain in the residence until all matters are dealt with by the Court. This could take two or three weeks, but it can take longer if the charge is being denied.
When a young person receives a Supervision with Residence Order from the Youth Court, they could remain in the residence for three months. If they don’t run away or commit further offences, they will be released after two months.
When young people are serving sentences of imprisonment in a residence, they will remain in the residence until they have completed their sentence or until they turn 17 years of age, whichever comes first.
When children between the ages of 10–13 are arrested they may also be placed in a residence and the law requires that they are brought before the Family Court as soon as possible.
Care and protection
The length of time a child or young person spends in a care and protection residence depends on the particular needs of the individual. Reviews are carried out regularly.
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What is a residence like?
Residences are generally like large houses or boarding houses. Everybody has their own bedroom but other facilities are shared. The dining and living rooms are probably much larger than the average home.
Living with a group of other children and young people under constant supervision can take time to get used to.
Residences are made up of two different types of living environments – the open units and the secure units. Most people spend all of their time in an open unit. This is the minimum security section of the residence which allows for more freedom of activity.
The secure unit is a locked section of the residence. It is used to stop children and young persons from running away, or to prevent them from harming themselves or others. Children and young people can only be held in a secure unit for up to 72 hours (that is, three days), whether continuously or not, unless special approval is given by the Court to hold them there for longer.
When a young person is placed in secure care, the residence has to notify the parents or guardians and explain why secure care has been used.
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Rights of the young person in a residence
A young person in a residence has a right to:
- be treated as an individual
- have recreational, education, medical, religious and cultural programmes, medical treatment, legal services and social services
- see, talk or write to family and advisors privately, and at reasonable times
- keep their own clothes and belongings as far as is reasonable and practical
- be involved in any plans or decisions that affect their lives
- be free from physical punishment of any kind
- be free from physical control except that which is necessary to stop them harming anybody or running away
- make a complaint (grievance procedure).
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Leaving the residence
When a young person completes a Supervision with Residence Order, a report is written for the Court giving an assessment of the effectiveness of the order and the young person’s response to it. Copies of this report will be given to the young person, the youth justice coordinator, and the young person’s youth advocate.
When children and young people leave a Child, Youth and Family residence, they do so as part of a planned process involving residence staff, their field social worker, their family and family group.
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