It is extraordinary that a West Auckland teenager was held in police station cells for four days because CYFs could not find a bed for her, Labour says.

Social Development Minister Anne Tolley says it's "very difficult" to stop negligent parents having more children but the country needed to have the discussion.

After a string of restructures of Child Youth and Family, Minister of Social Development Anne Tolley says she will fully implement the recommendations of an expert panel looking into children in state care.

The idea of Serco being responsible for a pipeline guiding children through their lives from cradle to grave - from CYF to prison - sounds like something from a dystopian novel, writes Richard Wagstaff.

The Green Party has won an apology from the Social Development Minister after it was confirmed Serco staff members had visited Child, Youth and Family sites.

A review panel is scathing of CYF's performance, saying the system is focused on immediate risks and containing costs at the expense of tackling harm.

Every person in the country aged up to 17 has been screened for factors that could later see their life take a turn for the worse - and cost taxpayers.

We must create strategies to address negative ethnic stereotypes which result in too many tamariki put into care, writes Anton Blank.

Fixing child abuse and neglect is all about building relationships with families in need, social workers say.

More financial support is needed for caregivers of vulnerable children to do their job properly, says Children's Commissioner Russell Wills.

Children's Commissioner Russell Wills has done the Government a huge favour with his State of Care report this week, whether he intended to or not.

The shortcomings at Child, Youth and Family reflect an agency that hasn't coped with a significant switch in societal attitudes to child abuse.

A damning report on Child, Youth and Family says 117 New Zealand children were abused in care last year - and some have had up to 60 placements.

A staffer working for Child, Youth and Family started a sexual relationship with a boy in the teen unit where she worked.

A former CYF social worker has admitted in court to shortcomings from her and the department resulted in a "vulnerable" teenager being returned to the home where he claims he was physically abused.

A Gisborne teenager told police he had been abused for years by his CYF-appointed caregiver, who was so cruel she knocked out his teeth with a knife-sharpening steel.

As a young boy, Daryl Brougham thought his name was Daryl Foster. He lived in at least 24 foster homes until the age of 18.

More than 860 victims who were abused while in state care have been given the option of a fast-track settlement.

The deaths of vulnerable people who are in state care or custody could have less independent scrutiny if proposed law changes go ahead.

A Northland teacher convicted of sexually abusing two girls and physically abusing six children placed in his care by Child Youth and Family has had an appeal against his conviction dismissed.

The Government has announced it wants Child Youth and Family completely overhauled and modernised and has asked Paula Rebstock to lead the work.

Doctors are developing protocols to refer obese children to child protection services if their parents ignore medical advice to help their children lose weight.

A High Court child-abuse trial was aborted when it was revealed Child, Youth and Family had failed to hand over 300 pages of documents to the police investigation.

The majority of children admitted to the Starship hospital as the result of suspected abuse or neglect are under 1 year old.

A Hastings woman has been referred to Child, Youth and Family after leaving her 6-month-old baby on the floor of a Hastings KFC restaurant yesterday.

Nineteen youths with unsettled upbringings were honoured for their outstanding achievements at a special ceremony yesterday.

A woman who adopted a child has won the right to paid parental leave, after being told by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment that she wasn't eligible.