New Zealand rocked by Māori protests on child removals and use of sacred land

Māori leaders are staging two major protests in New Zealand, straining relations with the Labour coalition government and drawing accusations that Jacinda Ardern – who is visiting the remote Pacific territory of Tokelau – is a “part-time prime minister”.

On Tuesday, hundreds of activists marched on parliament house in Wellington, as well as other New Zealand cities, calling for an overhaul of the government’s child welfare agency, Oranga Tamariki [Ministry for Children], amid a series of controversial cases in which Māori children and newborns were taken into state care.

More >> New Zealand rocked by Māori protests on child removals and use of sacred land

Closed adoption rears its ugly head again

If we thought closed adoption was harmful the first time round, it's back in the form of the euphemistic 'Special Guardianship', writes law lecturer Khylee Quince

Beyond the spotlight on child removals that has permeated our media, you may be wondering what the future holds for children taken from their families.

More >> Closed adoption rears its ugly head again

Supernanny-like social workers could be living in at-risk homes as part of new social services

Supernanny-like social workers could all but live in the homes of troubled families, as part of a new plan to stem the flow of vulnerable children into state care. Katie Kenny and Blair Ensor examine the plan for The Homicide Report.

The Government is expected to provide funding for new intensive intervention services as part of Budget 2019. Among many ideas being looked at is having social workers embedded in households.

Oranga Tamariki Chief Executive Gráinne Moss recently visited one of the trial sites with Minister of Children Tracey Martin and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

More >> Supernanny-like social workers could be living in at-risk homes as part of new social services

Former Child Youth and Family caregiver denies sexually abusing boys

A former Child Youth and Family caregiver has denied historical sexual offending against 17 boys.

The man, aged in his 50s, worked for Oranga Tamariki's predecessor in Auckland and faces 43 charges.

More >> Former Child Youth and Family caregiver denies sexually abusing boys

'STOP THAT KID YELLING' Mum of autistic boy, 7, finds furious note from neighbour threatening to report her to social services

THE mother of an autistic boy woke up in the New Year to find a furious note from her neighbour threatening to report her to social services if her son didn't stop yelling.

Solo mum-of-three Ana Gray, 28, found the note in the letter box of her home in Napier, New Zealand.

More >> 'STOP THAT KID YELLING' Mum of autistic boy, 7, finds furious note from neighbour threatening to report her to social services

In delivery rooms around New Zealand, the state is removing baby after baby from the same mother. Are we failing the very families that need the most help? Michelle Duff reports.

Jean Te Huia has been a midwife for 28 years. She used to try to work with the system.

More >> The number of newborn babies removed from their parents is rising

Human rights lawyer sceptical about expansion of inquiry into child abuse in state care

The Government has announced it is expanding the scope of its long-promised inquiry into the abuse of children in state care to include those in the care of churches.

Human Rights lawyer Sonya Cooper is sceptical about the expansion, however.

More >> Human rights lawyer sceptical about expansion of inquiry into child abuse in state care

Frustrations rise over child abuse reporting hotline with one hotline caller kept on hold for more than four hours

A CALLER to the Northern Territory Government’s child abuse hotline waited on hold for more than four hours while trying to report suspected child abuse before hanging up, parliament has heard.

Figures tabled in parliament showed more than one in five calls to the child abuse hotline ended with the caller hanging up before speaking to an operator.

More >> Frustrations rise over child abuse reporting hotline with one hotline caller kept on hold for more than four hours

• Callers to NT abuse hotline made to wait, many hang up

'State care can have disastrous implications' - Chief district court judge

Placing children and young people in state care can have disastrous consequences and greatly increase their risk of becoming chronic offenders, says the Chief District Court Judge.

More >> 'State care can have disastrous implications' - Chief district court judge

Social worker who sat on girl now working at Auckland school

A social worker who sat on a teen and punched a co-worker in the face is now working at an Auckland primary school.

Uila Esera was charged with conduct unbecoming of a social worker and de-registered over the incidents, which took place while he was working at the Whakatakapokai Care and Protection Residence in 2013.

More >> Social worker who sat on girl now working at Auckland school

Calls for children's rights to be recognised in review of 'outdated' adoption laws

As the government reviews New Zealand's adoption laws, there have been increasing calls for the rights of children to be paramount.

The Human Rights Commission describes the 60-year-old legislation as outdated and discriminatory.

More >> Calls for children's rights to be recognised in review of 'outdated' adoption laws

Social worker accused of having sex with teen in her care says he raped her

A trainee Oranga Tamariki social worker accused of sexually violating a 14-year-old boy in her care says he raped her.

Hastings woman Amanda Tatam, 30, is on trial in Napier District Court facing five charges of sexual conduct with a boy aged under 16, threatening to cause grievous bodily harm to the boy and his father, and a representative charge of supplying cannabis.

More >> Social worker accused of having sex with teen in her care says he raped her

• Trial of social worker accused of having sex with teen in her care ends in mistrial

More than 1000 caregivers unused as children shifted around dozens of foster homes

Children in state care are "too often" being shifted around as many as sixty different homes, the Children's Commissioner says.

Figures released to Newshub under the Official Information Act show more than a thousand approved caregivers are not being used.

More >> More than 1000 caregivers unused as children shifted around dozens of foster homes

Study: Family Court not equipped to deal with parental alienation

An Auckland mother says her close relationship with her two sons quickly disappeared when her marriage broke up.

It came as a surprise to her, as she had been their primary caregiver and doted on them. The father had been distant from the kids before they broke up in 2015.

More >> Study: Family Court not equipped to deal with parental alienation

Up to 30 foster children a day living in motels due to lack of carers

Between 20-30 children in state care are living in motels every day, due to a lack of foster caregivers, according to Oranga Tamariki.

More >> Up to 30 foster children a day living in motels due to lack of carers

Exclusive: 'The system broke me' says carer forced to give up foster parenting

Increasing numbers of foster parents are quitting as more than 6,000 vulnerable children across the country are in care or in need of care, the highest number ever.

Three-and-a-half years ago four foster kids came into an Auckland home. Now they're all gone, the strain of looking after them too much for their foster mother.

More >> Exclusive: 'The system broke me' says carer forced to give up foster parenting

One woman's Family Court struggle: 'It would be easier to deal with if my son had died'

Judith* has seen her son once in the seven years since she split with his father. She has been left with little faith the current system can do anything about it.

"In reality I've probably lost my son forever."

More >> One woman's Family Court struggle: 'It would be easier to deal with if my son had died'

Anti-child abuse advocate arrested for trying to have sex with kids

The head of a charity that campaigns against sexual violence has been arrested in New York for child pornography and allegedly trying to meet with children as young as two for sex.

Joel Davis, 22, is accused of trying to set up sexual encounters between himself and young children, as well as soliciting an undercover FBI agent to send sexually explicit videos of minors.

More >> Anti-child abuse advocate arrested for trying to have sex with kids

Judges pulled from criminal cases to work Family Court backlog

Lawyers working in both fields said they were sympathetic to Judge Jan-Marie Doogue's predicament, and there simply were not enough District Court judges.

As of March there were 8000 defended cases in the Family Court, a 30 percent jump in two years.

More >> Judges pulled from criminal cases to work Family Court backlog

CYF social worker charged with sexual offending and supplying drugs to boys in her care

A woman who was a Child Youth and Family social worker is accused of sexually violating a boy in her care as well as assault and supplying cannabis.

Hastings woman Amanda Tatam, 30, is facing five charges of sexual conduct with a boy aged under 16, and threatening to cause grievous bodily harm to the boy and another boy.

More >> CYF social worker charged with sexual offending and supplying drugs to boys in her care