Maori child advocacy group Mana Ririki hopes new figures from the Child Poverty Monitor are an indication abuse of Maori children is decreasing.
The first report was released on Monday and concluded 265,000 New Zealand children lived in poverty, meaning their families lived off less than 60% of the median household income. Of those children, 180,000 were missing out on basic needs such as kai, heating and medical visits.
Maori children were twice as likely as European children to live in poor households, the report found.
Mana Ririki executive director Anton Blank said a positive aspect was the drop since 2010 in hospital admissions for non-accidental injuries of tamariki Maori under 14 years of age.
Mr Blank said he hoped the trend indicated a behavioural change in whanau, and a reduction of violence towards Maori children. Awareness of child abuse was high, and that was positive, he said.
