27 Sep 2013

CYF challenged to explain abuser's approval

12:16 pm on 27 September 2013

A Kaitaia woman is challenging Child Youth and Family to explain how it came to approve a child abuser as a foster parent.

Businessman and Mormon church elder Daniel Taylor pleaded guilty in the High Court on Thursday to nine charges of sexual offending against boys, including one who had been in his care.

Anahera Herbert-Graves, who is also a Mormon, says she had warned church leaders about Taylor after hearing reports of his activities.

She says at least one Child Youth and Family employee in Kaitaia would have known there were concerns about his behaviour with boys.

"In the local office, one of the staff members was a leader in our church and I cannot believe that he (Taylor) would have gotten that approval from CYFs without the support of our church leaders," she says.

Child Youth and Family says it would be keen to talk to anyone with concerns about the way it approved Taylor as a caregiver.

Taylor will be sentenced in November.