Family & Parenting

ALACINC provides nationwide support services under the principles of El Buen Vivir (Well-being) and Te Tiriti o Waitangi, for families undergoing stressful resettlement issues.

Barnardos offer a broad range of services for children, families and whānau throughout Aotearoa.They provide social support services to the most vulnerable children in our communities — including victims of family violence, addiction, neglect and abuse.They also provide guidance and support to parents, whānau and communities to help them build broader knowledge and resilience.

Brave Hearts NZ provide phone and online support for whanau with an addicted family member.

Carers New Zealand provides information, advice and support for people who are supporting whanau who have extra needs.

Caring Families are there to support caregiver families who open their homes and hearts to children and young people in need of care and protection. They do this by providing training, encouragement, advocacy, information, publications & support services to caregiver families, so that the placement has the best possible chance of success.

The Early Years Service Hub's were set up to improve access to services for children aged 0-6 years and their families. They provide parenting programmes for all ages and run playgroups. Space is available for other community services to run meetings. HUB is open from 9am - 5pm Monday to Friday. No referral required.

Family Works Northern provides counselling, social work services and a range of group programmes for children, young people, parents/caregivers and families in and around Whangarei (including Mangakahia, Hikurangi and Moerewa).

GrandFriends NZ busts social isolation and loneliness by linking Kiwi's together to create new family circles. Social isolation and loneliness are serious issues in New Zealand on a daily basis and not just for our older generations. By connecting families with grandfriends and grandfriends with our children; we can fight social isolation and loneliness. Working together, New Zealand can be a more caring and connected nation.

HIPPY is a home-based programme for the educational enrichment of children aged 3.5 to 5 years. It fosters their parents' skills as educators. HIPPY is a two-generational programme working with both parent and child to assist their child to become a confident learner, reader and writer.

Immerse is a registered not-for-profit charity that endeavours to inspire, train and support individuals and families to become lasting foster parents. They recognise that children can experience holistic wellbeing and improved outcomes when they are immersed into safe and nurturing therapeutic environments. Immerse delivers Trust-Based Relational Intervention TBRI® training, designed to help foster parents meet the unique needs of children who have experienced complex developmental trauma.

The Ministry of Education provides the Incredible Years Programme for both parents and teachers of children aged 3-8; helping to reduce challenging behaviour and increase children’s social and self-control skills.

Jigsaw North know parenting is the most important job and it also brings its challenges. It is vital for parents and caregivers to be well supported and resourced with parenting knowledge, skills and understanding, to benefit their tamariki. They provide social work support for whanau and deliver a variety of parenting programmes to support and awhi them to be the best parents or caregivers they can be. They can also support whanau to access other services that can benefit them.

Kaiārahi – Family Court Navigators provide guidance and information about the resolution/support options available to parents, caregivers and whānau who are considering applying to the Family Court.The Kaiārahi – Family Court Navigators aim to improve family justice outcomes for parents, whānau and tamariki by empowering families to make informed decisions on appropriate justice pathways and how to access them. They’ll also provide information about how to engage with the court for legal matters or how to access out-of-court services but they do not provide legal advice.

Keeping Connected provides supervised contact and changeover services for children so that they can maintain or renew relationships which are important to them, in a safe child-focused environment. The service is available for parents, whanau or families.Visits may be funded by the Family Court or Oranga Tamariki at their discretion.

KidsLink is an online resource available to parents to find a range of services (some services will incur a cost) that specialise in working with children, teenagers and their families with issues that affect their learning, development and well-being.

Kidz Need Dadz' mission is to help NZ men be the best fathers they can be. They provide online support and can help with parenting, relationship separation, assistance with family court processes, mentoring, information on health and wellbeing services for men.

Questions or worries about breastfeeding? Accredited La Leche League Leaders are experienced mothers who have been trained to provide information and support for breastfeeding. Support can be obtained via their:• Facebook Group• Online Groups• PhoneVisit their website to connect with a leader. All services are free and confidential.

Kaiwhakaako: Supporting parents to grow into their roles as first teachers and nurturers of their tamariki; and supports whānau to engage knowledgeably with organisations, enabling positive results. Tautoko: Promoting a whānau centric home environment and Positive Parenting Skills — where whānau ensure their children can develop resilience by creating a healthy home setting that supports emotional, cultural, physical and spiritual wellbeing. Whanaungatanga: Supporting whānau to navigate and engage with various Government Department Agencies if requested.

Ngāti Kahu Social & Health Services provide social service support to whanau with children up to the age of 17 in the Ngati Kahu rohe.Referral may be required.

If you need support or guidance around developing your parenting skills, OCS has a parent coach/support worker available to discuss tips and tools toward better parenting. They can meet with you in your home or in an alternative suitable space to discuss your parenting needs. OCS has a range of services available to support individuals and families within the Kaipara District. Their services include: • Social work• Counselling• Parent support• General family support• Financial mentoring linked to their foodbank.