"Every Child Counts is a coalition formed by Barnardos, Plunket, UNICEF, Save the Children, and the Institute of Public Policy at AUT with the aim of securing a positive future for children in New Zealand. As part of this wider aim, Every Child Counts has approached Infometrics to explore ways of estimating the economic costs and consequences of child abuse and neglect in New Zealand."--Introduction.

ECC Discussion Paper No. 1, June 2010

This short report was commissioned by Every Child Counts (a coalition of Barnardos, Plunket, UNICEF, Save the Children and the Institute of Public Policy at Auckland University of Technology) to examine methods of estimating the economic costs of child abuse and neglect in New Zealand. The report defines child abuse and neglect and discusses its prevalence in New Zealand. Drawing on international research, the authors discuss which children are at risk, and the impacts and cost of abuse and neglect. The economic case for preventative intervention is made, and policy issues related to this are discussed. The authors note that adapting international cost estimates to the New Zealand situation suggests that every year child abuse and neglect generates a long term bill that is equivalent to around 1% of Gross Domestic Product.
This version of the report was published on the ECC website as ECC Discussion Paper Number 1, June 2010, and includes a Foreword and Executive Summary. The original report was published by Infometrics in 2008. This electronic version is found on the YesVote website. This report is not currently available on the Every Child Counts website (noted 13-09-2016).

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