BACKGROUND: For children who have been maltreated, being removed from their family of origin constitutes the highest level of government intrusiveness and intervention. As of June 2023, there were a total of 4,317 children and young people in out-of-home care (OOHC) in Aotearoa, New Zealand. The subjective experiences of children and young people entering OOHC have not been formally researched in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

AIM: Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the recalled experiences of entering OOHC as a child or young person in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

METHODOLOGY: Through a phenomenological inquiry, ten in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with care-experienced adults aged 18 to 46 years, and data were analysed thematically.

FINDINGS: Analysis revealed five themes: (1) the familiar versus the unfamiliar, (2) the impact of connection, (3) the benefits of knowledge, (4) the power of communication and (5) the role of individuality.

CONCLUSION: Participants emphasized the need for caregivers to show compassion and understanding for the past and current challenges of the children who are living with them. Findings highlight how much children entering OOHC do not understand about what is happening to them, and how distressing this is. Therefore, it is important children are kept informed and treated with kindness.