considering that one of the best arcs so far involved Nico being kidnapped by the world Government, and the Straw Hat pirates coming in and fighting off the deadliest assassin groups in the world Government, yeah, I'd say the new guys are cared for.
Plus; Franky and Brook are fucking awesome. Chopper too.
That's the great thing about one piece; Unlike Dragonball Z and a few other animes, the weaker characters don't become useless by the later arcs, as demonstrated in the straw hats vs. Pacifista on the archipelago, or the Straw Hat vs. Oars.