Nia Glassie's murder highlights the need for early intervention of high risk families, a family violence expert says.
Five people were yesterday found guilty by a jury in the Rotorua High Court of charges relating to three-year-old Nia's death.
Brothers Wiremu and Michael Curtis, aged 19 and 22, were convicted of her murder.
Nia's mother Lisa Kuka, 35, who was Wiremu Curtis's partner at the time, was found guilty on two counts of manslaughter for not protecting or getting medical help for her daughter.
They are now awaiting sentencing.
The case poses a challenge to the new government, Family Help Trust chair and Canterbury University senior lecturer of social work Annabel Taylor said.
She said Nia's name had been added to a "shameful roll call" of New Zealand children killed by their parents or caregivers.
"What we must do to prevent child abuse is adequately fund social services targeted specifically at the ultra high risk families.
"We already have such services that are proven to work effectively for the most vulnerable New Zealand children. We just do not have adequate funding to extend the service to protect every child in need," Dr Taylor said.
She said the "big challenge" for the new government was providing the necessary level of funding.
"Spending $1 on early intervention services now will save $19 in the future when those children, should they survive such an adverse family background, will otherwise cost the state in criminal justice, policing, corrections, mental health and unemployment budgets."
High risk families include those which face multiple problems including drug addiction, poverty, a criminal record, a poor standard of housing, long term unemployment, poor education, inability to find work and parents who were the subject of childhood maltreatment.
"These are the families where child abuse occurs as a matter of course, and where cases such as that of Nia Glassie will happen again.
"Effective early intervention with these families, to provide adequate parenting skills, is the only proven way to help ensure their children grow up in a safe, sound and stable environment, with a better chance of a more fulfilling life."
The New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services (NZCCSS) said child abuse could be prevented.
NZCCSS vice-president Shaun Robinson said "just dobbing in suspected cases of maltreatment" would not work.
"We need to get in early with community based preventive services if we are really going to turn things around."
"Many community based agencies are doing very effective work that keeps children safe and supports families to do their job, but they are under-resourced and tied down by red tape. We hope that the new government will be committed to addressing this complex problem."
