From care-experienced to Resource Worker: Angel Brown's story

Her experience in care is what drove her to pursue a career at Oranga Tamariki as a Resource Worker. She now helps to take children in care to appointments and activities, provides after-hours support and supervises visits with whānau.

Angel was in care from a young age until 2023, the same year she won a Prime Ministers Oranga Tamariki Award.

Held once a year, these awards recognise and celebrate the achievements of care experienced young people.

“I won the William Wallace Go-Getter award, and it was a pretty cool experience,” she says.

“To get it in front of a whole heap of people…having people there that have supported you to achieving your goals.”

And while the awards marked a significant milestone in her story, Angel admits she had already set her sights on another goal.

As Angel explains, the role of a resource worker is varied, with tamariki at the centre of everything she does.

“I normally play at the playground with the children, I’ve supervised some visits, I’ve transported children from placements…” she says.

“My favourite part is bringing joy to the kids. Seeing them smile and have fun and just the interactions with them being like, oh man, they're just children, you know?”

Looking back, Angel credits her own experiences for the reason she wanted to pursue this career.

Being in care didn’t always feel normal, but Angel says her resource worker took the time to make sure she felt like any other child.

“She just made me feel like when I was with her that I wasn't in care, it just felt like, man, I feel normal for once. I wanted to be a resource worker to give that experience to the kids as well.”

Alongside her work at Oranga Tamariki, Angel also sits on a VOYCE - Whakarongo Mai Regional Youth Council, helping to create meaningful change for young people in care throughout Aotearoa.

As for what's next, Angel wants to be a social worker.