Turner: CYFS a 'dysfunctional monster'

United Future's Judy Turner today labelled CYFS a "dysfunctional monster", with child death after child death being laid at its door.

"And the other tragedy of it is that beside this stream of child deaths, there are some very fine and able people within CYFS who are working very hard. But they are hugely stressed and working in an organisation that is so obviously dysfunctional," she said.

Yesterday was another bad news day for CYFS, with one of its foster parents jailed for 10 years for killing three-year-old Tamati Pokaia in a fury over popcorn, and a CYFS report admitting its failure in the case of 12-year-old Kelly Gush, who was kicked to death by her step-father.

"CYFS doesn't fulfil its most basic task - protecting children at risk - and one has to ask whether in its current situation, it possibly can," Mrs Turner, United Future's health spokeswoman, said.

"They too often get it wrong. And when it comes to children's lives, this level of failure cannot be accepted."

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