New Zealand's infant mortality rate has fallen to 4.2 in the latest Statistics NZ figures for 2012.

Molly Bedingfield - mother to pop artists Daniel and Natasha - is the founder of the Global Angels Foundation; an international charity that aims to help communities living in extreme poverty and disadvantage.

Child poverty is not a party political issue; it is a moral and ethical issue, writes Susan St John. "It may have been possible some time ago to bury our heads in the sand and ignore the prevalence of child poverty in NZ."

Minister says Housing NZ stock needs work before it can impose conditions on private landlords

About 270,000 Kiwi children live in poverty, according to a report by the Children's Commissioner last month.

Tourists say a rogue operator promised them visits to farms, geyser parks and buffet dinners - but instead took them to free events.

For more than three months he remained an unknown young African whose fatal decision to seek a better life in Europe ended with an 800m drop.

A Christmas story from an associate, who was in a Salvation Army op shop when a family - mum, dad, and three children - stopped by to drop off a new bike.

Fuelled by the highest rate of unemployment in 13 years, the queues snaking along the pavements outside the Auckland City Mission have nothing festive about them.

Editorial: The Nga Tangata Microfinance Trust in South Auckland seems to be providing a less businesslike but no less welcome solution for some of the indebted poor in this country.

Catriona MacLennan writes: "The Government will be making a serious mistake and missing a major opportunity if it disregards one of the key recommendations of the Expert Advisory Group on Solutions to Child Poverty."

The recent small surge in reports recounting child poverty in New Zealand make grim reading, writes Paul Moon, especially as so many of the conditions blighting children's lives can easily be remedied.

Editorial: When the Children's Commissioner set up an "expert advisory group on solutions to child poverty" this year, many New Zealanders will have cheered.

Government-backed low-interest loans to undercut "loan sharks" could be on the cards in the wake of a pragmatic final report of an expert group on child poverty.

More than 80,000 sole parents, caring for 133,000 children, would get an extra $10 a week under a proposal to tackle child poverty.

The Government is being urged to act now on child poverty rather than waiting for the economy to improve.

The number of children admitted to hospital with conditions that can be related to poverty has declined, but experts warn about problems with children's health.

Northland has the highest rates of rheumatic fever in the country and last week visiting US expert Dr Stanford Shulman met health professionals to help with solutions.

Two important points appear to be missing from the debate about child poverty.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says she left a meeting with hunger striker Sam Kuha with respect for the man and his passion for the problem of child poverty.

Here's a quick quiz. You are a child. Who is most likely to kill you. Your mum? Your dad? Stepdad? Rodney Hide says police have the answer.