Boy alone: CYF warns parents on care laws

The  case of a 7-year-old Whangarei boy who came home from school to an empty house while his mother was allegedly out drinking has brought a warning from authorities about the law.
It is illegal to leave children under 14 without making reasonable provision for their care and supervision.
Parents are required to make sure any child left alone is safe and in no danger, says Child, Youth and Family national operations manager John Henderson.
The department is now looking into the case, which happened  on Thursday.
The 7-year-old was looked after by neighbours after they heard him crying. They called the police at about 6pm.
"The neighbours who took the boy into their home and contacted the police did their best to help him and keep him safe. That was the right thing to do," Mr Henderson said.
People who have concerns about the wellbeing of a child should call the Police or Child, Youth and Family urgently, he said.
After the police were called to the Riverside address the neighbours continued to care for the child until his mother was located. The police told the Advocate she "had been out drinking".
"We are currently assuring ourselves that the boy's ongoing safety and wellbeing needs are being properly met," Mr Henderson said.
The incident occurred within a week of a Northland Principals' Association spokesman calling for parents to take responsibility for their children.
That call came after a 6-year-old girl was left  after school for four hours without being picked up. Teachers at Tikipunga Primary School searched for the girl's parents before taking her to Whangarei Police Station.
When  police were also unable to locate her parents, the girl was placed in the care of Child Youth and Family until other family members could be found.
Tai Tokerau Principals Association president Pat Newman said the number of children not being collected was on the rise. Some were genuine communication mix-ups but in most cases drugs or alcohol were the root of the problem and the children were known to CYF, Mr Newman said.
In January, six children were left unsupervised in a Whangarei public playground and were taken into Child Youth and Family care after police were unable to find their mothers - two sisters who had left the children at the park.
 Ten days earlier,  two children, aged 2 and 3, were found wandering on the street while their parents were passed out drunk on the floor of their Otangarei home.