A Nelson grandmother feels powerless to help her grandson, who has been living in disgusting conditions, saying Child, Youth and Family (CYF) has failed him.
Landlord Sinead Ogilvie evicted the boy's mother from her rental property after discovering she and her partner has trashed the house. Ms Ogilvie found rubbish, drug paraphernalia, rotting nappies with maggots, and human and dog faeces smeared over the walls and floors.
Landlord 'disappointed' after alerting CYF to revolting conditions
Ms Ogilvie told CYF about what she found, and was disappointed no immediate action was taken. But the nine-year-old boy's grandmother, who doesn't want to be named, says she has made numerous complaints and CYF still hasn't done anything.
"Six years down the track they still haven't found a solution. They've told me to be patient that people can change and improve," she says.
CYF upper south operations manager Helen Aiken apologised on Monday, saying the agency had not done a good enough job in assessing the family.
"There's been so many incidents where the police have been involved and those children still remain with her," the grandmother says. "There's been violence, there's been criminals, there's been drug use, you know, what does it take?"
She says CYF told her it's no longer involved with the family, which the organisation denies.
"I just keep trying and trying... I'm actually powerless."
Rubbish littered outside the house (Sinead Ogilvie)
The family has moved to another house, she says, and she believes nine people are living there.
"There's a huge problem. I'm not the only grandmother in this town who's going through this same grief. This woman can get away with her lies and pull the wool over their eyes all the time.
"It's only luck they have not had some serious misadventure happen to them."
She says the mother will leave the children with people she hardly knows or boyfriends who are untrustworthy.
"He's a tall, lanky child…but I could feel the bones on his back and I thought, 'Gosh, do you even get fed properly?'"
CYF says it will monitor the children closely and is working with the family, but the grandmother wants urgent intervention and an investigation launched.
"I want my grandson to have a normal and healthy life like every child in this country deserves."
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