Our History

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In the 1880s, with changing attitudes towards children, it was recognised that some were in need of protection by the state. The responsibility for children in need of state care was transferred from Justice to the Department of Education.

The Te Oranga Reformatory School, in Christchurch, opened in 1902.

In the early 1900s, admission into Reformatory Schools in New Zealand was governed by the Industrial Schools Act 1908 and related child welfare legislation. These institutions were intended for children considered delinquent, neglected, or beyond parental control. The criteria for admission included:

• Children under 16 years old who had committed offences.
• Children who were considered destitute, neglected or in need of care and protection.
• Children whose parents considered them to be uncontrollable or habitually disobedient.
• Persistent truants
• Orphans or abandoned children
   

Following a couple of iterations, Te Oranga Reformatory School was renamed Burwood Girls Home in 1928, Girls Training Centre in 1945 and finally Kingslea in 1965.