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Child Youth and Family has defended its management of a case where a toddler was hospitalised twice in a year with broken bones allegedly caused by abuse.
The 18-month-old west Auckland boy was taken to hospital in June with broken thigh and arm bones, and doctors have told police he may have had the injuries for two to four weeks before he was seen by a doctor.
Police have confirmed the toddler was also admitted to hospital with a broken arm when he was only four-months-old.
Then, when he was living with his mother's sister, her husband and two children, he had a spiral break to his left arm but was not taken for treatment for 10 days.
When the latest injuries happened he was living with his parents and three siblings.
Child Youth and Family (CYF) chief executive Ray Smith said today it was a sad case that was upsetting for the staff involved.
He said CYF had been working hard with the toddler's family to try and improve the situation.
"We always make sure that when there has been an issue of child safety - and a significant one - we make sure the home ... is safe for children to return to," Mr Smith told Radio New Zealand.
"I think that the social worker involved in this case will be devastated by the fact that a family that she thought she was making good progress with, has in fact attended the programmes, worked hard on the plans we've set ... and yet we find out about this horrific abuse."
He said over 5000 children were currently in CYF care because it was considered too dangerous for them to live with their parents.
"Every day we are working with a large number of families. In the last year we investigated more than 30,000 families to try and establish safety needs for children."
He said it was concerning to know there were 10,000 parents out there who had question marks over their ability to provide care for children.
"But every day we are working with families that are turning their lives around, that are making changes and that are able to provide positive parenting environments for their children."
Police said the toddler in question may have learned during his short life to date that crying because of his injuries would not bring relief and therefore may have suffered in silence.
The toddler and his siblings have been removed from his parents by CYF and his parents have been banned from visiting him in hospital.
Detective Sergeant Megan Goldie from the west Auckland child abuse team said it was "heartbreaking" to see the toddler lying in hospital injured with no family there to support him.
A 27-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman have been charged with ill-treating a child and are due to appear in Waitakere District Court on Thursday.
- NZPA
