There is another side to this that is equally alarming but does not get as much publicity or public interest, that is the situation where by cyfs trying to balance out the recent rush of negative publicity against them will instead go into OVERKILL,
that is, racing in, full on like the gestapo without checking facts and removing children unnecessarily often based on false assumptions from community members or spiteful allegations of 'ex friends, ex partners' etc that are blown totally out of proportion and context.
These parents are often shocked and bewildered at the accusations levelled at them, insisting 'I havent, I didnt' only to come up against the departments 'take now, prove later' mentality.
Sites online such as PANIC, NZ parents Vs CYFS,Scoop, Investigate & Kiwi news to name a few are full of such cases.
For an innocent parent placed in such a predicament, there is little to no help or support available for them to prove otherwise, it is a common assumption that 'if cyfs are involved, there MUST be something to the allegations' so often these parents are left at the mercy of large departmental bodies who have already 'made their minds up'.
Although it states clearly that if notifications are based on spite or maliciousness there is provision via the Guardianship act to prosecute malicious notifications this seldom happens, as the social workers then have to justify why they didnt check 'more thoroughly' which puts THEM in a bad spot.
In my opinion, MORE should be done in the risk assessment department, ie; separating the REAL from IMAGINED cases of child abuse, one standard formula DOES NOT fit all, this is why serious cases are slipping through the cracks and frivolous cases are devastating many families.
Until my personal experience with the Department, I actually WANTED to become a Social worker and help these kids that they were failing, but NOW after seeing what total destruction and devastation a wrong decision on my part could bring, I'm not so sure I want the responsibility and feel I am better sticking to my 'left wing activist lobbying'.
