After 40 years working for the country's child welfare agency, chief social worker Mike Doolan recalled one child in particular on his final day in the top job.
The dead child's name topped a board in Mr Doolan's office which tracked his first review into the deaths of children while in the care of Child, Youth and Family Services.
After about a year, the numbers grew so large that Mr Doolan felt the need to wipe the child's name from the top of the board to fit the others on.
"I could not bring myself to rub his name off," he said.
"In a way I was saying, 'Who is going to keep that kid in their memory?' because there was nobody in his life who was going to love him."
He said that, like him, all staff, wherever they worked within CYFS, "cannot help but be affected by the lives of our clients."
Yesterday, Mr Doolan handed over his job to Shannon Pakura, a social worker with 15 years' experience in the department, who becomes the first Maori woman to occupy the top job.
Asked what her measure of success in the new position would be, Ms Pakura said: "That there will be no more child deaths; that's the benchmark."
- NZPA
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
Latest from New Zealand
Waitangi Tribunal turns, 50 but there’s no cause to celebrate - John Tamihere
The Waitangi Tribunal turns 50 - happy birthday to you.