Shayne Walker, of Dunedin, for services to fostering children and social work
Shayne Walker recently retired as Chair of the Social Workers Registration Board and is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Sociology, Gender Studies and Social Work at the University of Otago. He is a registered social worker, and he and his wife have been foster parents for 192 children. He has been a strong advocate for care and caregivers and has supported the care service provided by the Dunedin Oranga Tamariki office. He is an unofficial kaumātua for Oranga Tamariki. He has been a member of various expert advisory bodies to take action against family and sexual violence. Mr Walker is currently on the Family Violence Death Review Committee and Voyce Whakarongo Mai, and has served on the Child, Youth and Family Care and Protection Resources Panel.