Children

Wairapapa's chief social worker has been ordered to appear before a judge in Masterton to explain an almost three-month delay in providing a crucial report on a young girl.

A pre-school manager trying to report an at-risk child to Oranga Tamariki was on hold for over half an hour with no answer, then again for 20 minutes, she says.

If a proposed restructure goes ahead at Plunket, it will still provide well for families, a former president of the organisation says.

The Children's Minister plans to direct $27 million of budgeted ministry funding towards shutting down the practice of remanding children in police cells overnight.

The Catholic Church is disappointed a Government inquiry into state abuse of children may not expand to include faith-based institutions, including itself.

The scale of attacks on children in the world's conflict zones reached shocking levels this year, the United Nations Children's Fund says.

Scholarships and prize-money have been awarded to 20 young people in state care at the annual William Wallace awards in Wellington.

The advertising watchdog has missed a major opportunity to reduce childhood obesity, nutrition experts say.

Children's advocates are excited to see the new government's plans to reduce child poverty but question how quickly things can improve.

The secret children of a Catholic priest in New Zealand are about to reveal their identity to their local bishop.