Oranga Tamariki, reflecting the voices of young people
08 March 2017.
The voices of young people are being reflected right from the start, with the release of the visual identity of Oranga Tamariki.
“I'm really excited by this visual identity, when young people take the lead, it makes it more real. I'm grateful for the work they've done and I'm impressed by the decisions they've made. The young people have said that ‘Oranga Tamariki’ carries our aspirations for all children. I am clear that this is our promise to the children and young people the new Ministry serves,” says Gráinne Moss, the incoming chief executive of the Ministry for Vulnerable Children, Oranga Tamariki.
Te Whānau Aroha, the Youth Advisory Panel, drove the design and made decisions around the final look and feel of the identity of Oranga Tamariki. Gráinne says “this is what we mean by child-centred. It’s more than just words; it’s involving young people in processes, in appropriate, meaningful ways. The young people set their expectations and the designers created an identity, which reflects what the young people wanted to see.”
“They told us the name indicated they had great potential and that with support, they could make the best of themselves,” says Gráinne.
The logo draws on the ‘Pou’, a pillar of support, which suggested to the young people a group or a tribe getting strongly behind a cause. Gráinne says “they liked that it looked ‘dependable’, a ‘post you could lean on’. They also felt that the ’T’ shape looked like it raised them up, lifting them and whānau to realise oranga tamariki.”
The colours and font were chosen by the Youth Advisory Panel because they were ‘bright, confident, attractive and modern’.
Gráinne says, “this child-centred system, where the voice of the young person is always first and foremost, will make a tangible difference to the outcomes for tamariki.”
“The four-five year reform programme of the care and protection and youth justice systems will result in a whole new coordinated way of supporting vulnerable children and their families, preventing harm and improving long-term outcomes for these children and young people.” says Gráinne.
Oranga Tamariki will take a ‘whole of sector’ focus on children and young people in care or at risk of entering care. This includes prevention, intensive intervention, care support services, transition support and a youth justice service aimed at preventing offending and reoffending.
The new visual identity and logo will be phased in from 1 April.
