“I wish children could just be children”

Born and bred in Stratford, Taranaki, Barnardos Social Worker Summer Oliver grew up on a small rural farmlet — an old post office turned family home — in a household full of life, love and purpose alongside her seven siblings. It’s also where her passion for social work first began.

No day was the same in Summer’s home. It was often bustling with children playing, lots of people visiting, and new faces popping in. Why, you might ask? That big farmhouse came in handy when her parents decided to become foster parents — not just to a few tamariki, but to 53 children over an eight-year period.

“My parents sat us down and said that there were lots of kids who needed love and a family to care for them. Once we had children placed in our home, it really highlighted how lucky I was — how privileged I was,” says Summer.

“Being surrounded by social workers all the time, and being in and out of the court system, was fascinating — but also terrifying at the same time. I guess that’s where my love for people came from. I wanted to understand the other side of social work — the policies, the ‘why’ behind people’s choices.”

Hearing the stories and journeys of the tamariki they cared for — from the positives to negatives — helped ignite that career passion in Summer to care for and support children. From a young age, she was asking lots of questions: Why are the tamariki at my home? Where do the tamariki go after they leave? What does a social worker do to support them? Who is helping them thrive?

Those questions became even more personal when her parents fostered three tamariki who stayed on as part of their whānau — becoming her legal siblings.

“We fostered my siblings when they were babies. They’ve been my siblings from the get-go and we’ve been there right from the beginning.”

Building resilience in schools

Before becoming a social worker, Summer worked as an early childhood educator at just 17. Growing up around children – and loving it — inspired her to explore early childhood education (ECE). But after three years in ECE, she realised it wasn’t where she wanted to be long-term.

“I loved working with young children, but I realised I wanted to have a more significant impact by supporting families as a whole — both the tamariki and the wider whānau. I knew that social work would allow me to provide full wraparound support for tamariki, which aligned with my upbringing, growing up alongside foster tamariki at home.”

Summer then made the decision to transition into social work, a field that felt like the next natural step in her mission to make a broader impact in children’s lives. Now, as a school-based social worker, Summer supports tamariki facing barriers to attendance — helping them re-engage with their learning and feel supported at school.

Through group work, she helps tamariki build positive friendships, understand different communication styles, and learn how to handle both positive and challenging stress. Her mahi not only supports their wellbeing in school but also builds life skills that tamariki can carry with them beyond the classroom.

“The kids are so great. They’re so funny. They understand a lot more than I think we give them credit for. They have a good understanding of the world around them, and they’re so resilient — they make the best of some pretty awful situations.”

“I love what Barnardos stands for”

Summer’s passion for social work shines through in everything she does. She enjoys working for Barnardos because of our tamariki-centred approach and the importance of working with the wider whānau to create meaningful change — and the strong support system around her.

“I love what Barnardos stands for, which is kind of the reason I wanted to come and work here. The focus on children and their families is huge. Barnardos puts such an emphasis on doing what’s right for the whole family. My colleagues are pretty fantastic too.”

“What I love about my work is being able to provide support to children and their families who really need it. I think there’s a real sense of being part of something bigger than myself. That’s probably what I like most about being part of the Barnardos whānau.”

Summer’s wish for tamariki

Through her mahi in supporting children in schools, we asked Summer what she wishes for tamariki in Aotearoa.

"That’s a tough question," she reflects. "I wish that children could just be children, to feel loved and cared for wherever they go, and not have to deal with adult problems."

"I think that sometimes they’re subjected to things they shouldn’t have to worry about or know about. It would be great if they could just think the world was full of unicorns and rainbows all the time," she laughs.

At Barnardos Aotearoa, social workers like Summer help tamariki every day to feel heard, supported, and free to simply be children. To learn more about the important social work our teams across the motu do, click here.