The mother who left her five children in a van in a SkyCity Casino carpark while she and her partner gambled hopes to become a social worker.

A mother who abandoned five children in a van in the SkyCity carpark wants to become a social worker, a court has been told.

The new child protection system will bring teachers, doctors and social services together to protect each of New Zealand's 20,000 to 30,000 most vulnerable children.

An eight-month-old who had been in the care of a CYF caregiver for a week died when she became tangled in the blankets she was sleeping in, a coroner has found.

Child protection officials believe New Zealand may be finally tackling its child abuse problem after the first drop in abuse cases for at least eight years.

A father who allegedly bashed his children with a machete and cricket bats is facing eight years behind bars.