Vulnerable young lives at risk under Dyson

National Party Welfare spokeswoman Judith Collins says the lives of our most vulnerable children continue to be jeopardized by a Minister who refuses to accept there are serious problems within her department.

The Department of Child Youth and Family has now admitted that it knew Otis Auelea had disappeared from a CYF approved camp for two days before notifying the police.

Ms Collins says if a parent did not notify the police of a missing child for two days New Zealanders would rightly consider that parent unfit.

“The situation should be no different when it is a state agency that has acted negligently. As the Minister responsible for CYF, Ruth Dyson must admit that the department, under her leadership, is unfit to care for our most vulnerable children.

The first step on the road to redemption would be fresh leadership of CYF.

“Ms Dyson has displayed no empathy for the family of Otis Auelea. Only after nine months and sustained pressure from opposition politicians and the media has she even called for an inquiry.

“How many more children will lose their lives before Ruth Dyson finally accepts that CYF is not moving towards ‘performance excellence’ and is actually a department in crisis?”

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