Statistics About the Neglected and Abused Children in New Zealand

You will find the statistics staggering -

• NZ now ranks 3rd worst of 27 OECD countries in regard to child death by maltreatment! (OECD Report 03)
   
• UNICEF's "Making New Zealand Fit for Children" Report states that 1 in 10 children grow up in poverty in NZ!
   
• 18% of all children in NZ are believed to experience physical or sexual abuse! (CYFS)
   
• 1 in 7 families in NZ experience violence! (The NZ Economic Cost of Violence)
   
• There is reported backlog of more than 5,000 CYFS cases (reported North &South June 04 - Deputy Editor Jenny Chamberlain - "Children whose brain development and personalities are imperiled by lethal delays."
   
• 50% of care & protection notifications to CYFS relate to children and young people who have been previously notified.*
   
• 26% of neglected and abused children placed in care are moved more than 3 times per year!*
   
• National notifications to CYFS have increased by 15% per annum over the last three years.* There is no indication that this is likely to decrease.
   
• Multiple placements are associated with worst outcomes for children.*
   
• 47% of Kiwi Kids returned home are re-allocated to a foster home again*

* Source: CYFS NZ

Whilst the CYFS Act 1989 strongly emphasizes supporting the return of children to their family, whanau, hapu or iwi, in practice not enough resources enable this to be a positive, long-term reunification (as the statistics show us). Homes of Hope is passionate about family, culturally appropriate care, extended family/whanau/hapu/iwi connectedness and believes that this must be directly related to practice which supports holistic and long-term, positive outcomes for children at risk.