A Dunedin woman whose grandson was removed from her family says a government apology is "like gold".
"This piece of paper is going to be kept," she said.
Chief Ombudsman Judge Peter Boshier found her autistic daughter was treated unreasonably and the grandmother said the apology from Oranga Tamariki reinforced that an injustice had been done.
"This is like gold, this piece of paper, in a way."
The apology arrived at the end of last week.
It related to a case in 2014, when Child, Youth and Family — then part of the Ministry of Social Development — removed the 5-day-old boy from his mother while she remained in hospital after delivery by Caesarean section. The mother was given no notice.
After a series of complaints from the grandmother and mother, Judge Boshier ruled the ministry failed to understand the mother’s strengths as a disabled person and it failed to deal adequately with the complainants’ concerns.
Oranga Tamariki, the Ministry for Children, accepted the finding.
"I want to sincerely and unreservedly apologise for the way we treated your family," children and families services (south) deputy chief executive Alison McDonald said in the letter.
"Oranga Tamariki continuously failed to communicate with you, adding to the stress and frustration that our involvement was already causing.
"A more thorough and thoughtful response to your complaint, as well as engaging with you, could have ensured you felt that your concerns had been treated with respect."
The grandmother said she and her daughter planned to take up the offer from Oranga Tamariki for the pair to meet with lower South Island regional manager Christine McKenna.
Judge Boshier recommended an apology, an ex-gratia payment and a policy review.
The grandmother said the proposed amount of the payment was under review.
"The apology itself was really good," she said.
"It was important they acknowledged that they were in the wrong.
"They accepted their communication was far from adequate."
