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What organisations might have records about me or my whānau?

What organisations might have records about me or my whānau?

Group 30 Group 30
Last updated: January 30, 2025

You can try finding the organisation using our search tool

If you want to find out who holds records about you, you can use our search tool to find out who holds records from places that were or are responsible for people’s guardianship or care, and how to request them.

If you are not sure or do not want to use our search tool, you can try requesting your records from Oranga Tamariki. They hold the most records about children and young people.

You can also check our list below to learn more about which organisation may hold your records.

Requesting records can bring up a range of emotions. We have suggestions of where you can find support before, during, and after the records request process. 

We are working to improve our record holder information

Unfortunately, we do not have information on every organisation in New Zealand that may hold records.

We are working on improving this information. If you would like to provide any information please contact us.

Government agencies

Oranga Tamariki – the Ministry for Children is a government agency responsible for keeping children and young people safe.

Oranga Tamariki is responsible for records they create, as well as records created by earlier child protection agencies such as Child Youth and Family Services (CYFS), Department of Social Welfare (DSW), and Child Welfare Division of the Education Department.  

Oranga Tamariki may have records about you if you were:

  • adopted
  • in a State (government) institution or other welfare institution
  • In foster care, a Family Home or with foster parents
  • living with a member of your extended whānau because of Oranga Tamariki involvement
  • there was a concern raised about your guardianship or care.

Find out how to request your records from Oranga Tamariki.

The Ministry of Education holds records about: 

  • State (government) and state-integrated primary and secondary schools that have closed 
  • State and state-integrated school staff (mainly payroll information that can show which schools they worked at and complaints if these are shared with the Ministry) 
  • some residential special schools 
  • some health camp schools (from before 1989) 
  • students who received Learning Support (previously known as Special Education)
  • enrolment information for State and state-integrated primary and secondary school students from 2006 and 2007 respectively (in the ENROL database). This database also holds B4SC Vision and Hearing Test Results, stand-down and suspension information and if they were receiving learning support or were eligible for learning support
  • some historic files on admissions to Learning Support (previously known as Special Education) files. 

Find out how to request records from the Ministry of Education. 

Can I get my school records?  

Schools that are still open hold their own records. This includes:

  • enrolment records and student files (detailed records about individual students) of students currently enrolled
  • staff employment records 
  • records of complaints.   

If you want to access records about your time at a school, you can contact the school (if it is still open). Once students have left school, the school does not have to keep information about the students. However, sometimes they keep some enrolment information. 

Learn how to request your records from schools.  

Health NZ is an organisation that replaced the old District Health Boards. It continues to evolve and may make changes to its process.

  
Health New Zealand holds records from: 

  • general hospitals
  • psychiatric hospitals
  • institutions for intellectually or physically disabled people
  • psychotherapy clinics
  • addiction treatment facilities.

In most cases, the records are held by the regional locations (the former District Health Boards). 


Find out how to request your records from Health New Zealand. 

Disability Support Services (DSS) is an independent business unit within the Ministry for Social Development (DSS was previously part of Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People).

DSS funds supports and services for disabled people, mainly people under 65 years old. It does this through contracts with organisations (service providers) that provide disability supports and services.

DSS and its service providers may have records about you if you have lived in residential care or accessed the following supports and services: 

  • Home and Community Support Services
  • Supported Living
  • Choices in Community Living
  • Respite.

Find out how to request records from Disability Support Service.

The Department of Corrections holds records from:  

  • prisons and Community Corrections (for example custodial, medical, probation, psychological and programme records)   
  • youth penal institutions, where the young person was later in the custody of Corrections as an adult.  

Oranga Tamariki holds records from youth justice facilities that previously operated and those that are currently open. Learn how to request records from Oranga Tamariki. 

Examples of records may include: 

  • admission records  
  • records of decisions about prisoners. 

Learn how to request records from the Department of Corrections. 

The Courts of New Zealand (the Judiciary) is one of the three branches of government (the other two are the Legislature (Parliament), and the Executive (Cabinet, Ministers and government departments). 

The Courts of New Zealand (the courts) hold court records. Court records can include case files and registers from cases involving: 

  • child welfare 
  • family and guardianship 
  • criminal matters (criminal cases)
  • adoptions 
  • youth justice. 

Find out how to request records from the Courts of New Zealand. 

Archives New Zealand (Archives NZ) is New Zealand’s national archive and holds records from government and public institutions, dating back to around 1840.

Some records held by Archives NZ are restricted. This means permission is needed from the relevant government agency (called the controlling agency) to access the records. For example, you would contact Oranga Tamariki if you wanted access to child welfare records in Archives NZ’s collection.

Learn how to request records from Archives New Zealand.

The process for accessing restricted records is simpler if you request your records directly from the government agency, instead of Archives NZ.  

Faith-based record holders 

The Methodist Church has run the following types of institutions and their archive might have records about the people who were involved with or stayed at: 

  • refuges and homes for families 
  • children's homes (short and long stays) 
  • hostels  
  • foster homes.

 
Find out how to request records from the Methodist Church. 

The Salvation Army holds records about their: 

  • Children's Homes and 
  • maternity hospitals (also known as ‘Bethany Hospitals’. Maternity hospitals were for married and unmarried women and teenage girls during pregnancy and childbirth, and for newborn babies.) 

Learn how to request your records from The Salvation Army.  

The Catholic Church has many organisations (congregations and dioceses), that have run: 

  • Children’s Homes 
  • primary and secondary schools 
  • community support/social services 
  • hostels and emergency housing 
  • orphanages 
  • psychiatric hospitals 
  • residential and home-based  services. 

Learn how to request records from a Catholic organisation. 

The Anglican Church has many organisations that have run: 

  • Children's Homes / orphanages (including those for children with behavioural issues) 
  • foster homes 
  • family care and parenting programmes for mothers and their children 
  • maternity hospitals. 

Find out how to request your records from Anglican organisations. 

Presbyterian Support Services, has run orphanages and Children’s Homes.

Each Presbyterian Support organisation is responsible for records about their services. Unfortunately, some Presbyterian Support organisations have not kept any records.

Find out what records are held by: 

Non-faith and non-government organisations 

Stand Tū Māia has complete records about children who stayed in a health camp/children’s village after 2000 (when they took over responsibility for health camps).  

Under the Health (Retention of Health Information) Regulations 1996, they have to keep their records for at least ten years.  

Records from before 2000 might be held by Stand Tū Māia, the Ministry of Health and / or the Ministry of Education. Find out how to request health camp records.