Taha Whānau
Family & Social Wellbeing
Taha whānau is about who makes you feel like you belong and who you share your life with. Whānau provides us with the strength to be who we are.
Find information about:
Family Support
Pacific Health Service Hutt Valley is an independent health service working closely with our Pasefika community of 12,000 people in the Hutt Valley north of Wellington. They provide community engagement, development, support, health services and social services such as:
Healthy lifestyle programmes with a focus on physical activity, nutrition support and overall wellness
Community-led wellness initiatives
Smoking cessation support
Support for fanau affected by Covid-19
Ensure culturally safe clinical and manaaki services
Primary outreach nursing service
Family violence prevention programme
Alcohol and drug addiction counselling
Cost: Free
Kahungunu Whānau Services are a kaupapa Māori organisation providing housing solutions & social support services across the wider Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington) region. Their mahi is rooted in Whānau Ora and their organisational values; Manaakitanga, Kotahitanga, Rangatiratanga, Whanaungatanga. The team which includes social workers, counsellors, community support workers and youth workers, mentor, strengthen whānau and advocate on behalf of whānau with other providers.
Cost: Free
Visit: https://www.nkkp.org.nz/ko-wai-matou
Phone: 0800 ĀWHINA
Atareira support whānau with mental health or addiction concerns. They provide information, advocacy and support for families, aiga & whānau, as well as a specialised children’s programme.
Cost: Free
Visit: https://www.atareira.org.nz/
Phone: 04 499 1049
Porirua Whānau Centre runs may be able to help you with:
Drug & alcohol counselling
Family violence support
Parenting programmes such as HIPPY (Home Interaction Programme for Parents and Youngsters).
HIPPY is a two-year home-based parenting and early childhood programme that builds parents’ confidence and skills, and helps them create a positive and supportive home environment that actively benefits and encourages their children to learn.
HIPPY helps parents to lay the foundation for their children’s success in school and later life.
Cost: Free
Joining Wellington Multiples will provide you with support, education and friendship as you experience the joys and challenges of raising multiples. Becoming a member of Wellington Multiples will give you access to:
Multiple antenatal classes
Multiples playgroup
Equipment hire
Social events
Retailer discounts
Cost: Annual subscription fee is $45 for a new member, $30 for renewing members and for families who have been members for three years or more we now offer a discounted membership rate of only $10 per year.
Multiples Hutt Valley is a registered charity and membership organisation which offers friendship and support to families with twins, triplets or higher order multiples in the Hutt Valley and Wairarapa.
Cost: Membership fees applies.
Visit: https://www.multipleshv.org/
KapiMana Multiples is a club dedicated to providing support and assistance for parents and families of multiple births (twins, triplets and more) in the Porirua City area (from Tawa to Pukerua Bay), and the Kāpiti Coast. Becoming a member will give you access to:
Multiples playgroup
Clothing grabs and dessert nights
Monthly committee meetings
Cost: Annual subscription fee is $40 for a new member, $25 if twins are already born, $25 community card holder.
Visit: https://www.kapimanamultiples.org.nz/Home
Birthright offers a range of social services for the tamariki and parents of whānau led by one person. If you are a mum, dad, grandparent or another whānau member parenting alone, Birthright can support you. Birthright believe that:
It is every child's 'birth-right' to a good start in life (which is where our name, Birthright, was originally derived from)
Children deserve to get help and assistance in times of crisis for them and their parent/s
All children should have the opportunity to reach their full potential
The current environment includes social systems and structures which make it more difficult for children from families led by one person to receive their 'birth-right'
Families can succeed on their own terms but may need support during parts of their journey.
Cost: Free
Visit: https://www.birthright.org.nz/
Phone: 0800 457 146
The Little Miracles Trust (formally known as The Neonatal Trust) provides a free information pack to parents with a pēpi in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) as soon as possible, and offer regular lunch/morning tea catch ups, and group information sessions.
Cost: Free
Visit: https://littlemiraclestrust.org.nz/
Video tour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeSwRGMziDI
The Little Miracles Trust also run playgroups. The new developmental group is FREE and open to all babies in who have been through a NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) or SCBU (Special Care Baby Unit) and will provide a very valuable service for parents to get crucial free developmental assistance and advice for their babies (as well as providing a place for a catch up over a coffee for neonatal mums and dads!) The playgroup is run by a physiotherapist and Johnsonville Community Centre.
Cost: Free
Visit: https://littlemiraclestrust.org.nz/for-parents/playgroups/
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Trust NZ is a registered charitable trust operating throughout New Zealand providing support services to grandparents who are raising their grandchildren on a full-time basis. Their vision is for a community where grandparents raising grandchildren are empowered to provide a safe, secure and nurturing home for their grandchildren.
Visit: https://www.grg.org.nz/
Phone: 0800 472 637
Support for Men
Greenstone Doors is a charitable trust based in Lower Hutt. They offer two support groups for men:
Tane Talks is a space for men to chin wag, korero or talanoa about what matters to men.
Game On! delivers a programme to see dad’s engage with their children on another level. A parenting course just for dads, exploring what the role of a dad is, communication, discipline, boudary setting and what makes a great family.
Cost: Free
Visit: https://www.greenstonedoors.co.nz/mens-programmes.html
Kidz Need Dadz help Dads to play an active part in the lives of their tamariki through education & support. They can help with parenting, relationship separations, assistance with legal advice and mentoring, information on health and wellbeing services for men, and they also host regular meetings. They also offer supervised visitation services, helping tamariki and parents stay safe.
Cost: Free
Visit: https://www.kidzneeddadz.org.nz/
Phone: 0508 2255 323 (non-urgent)
Crisis phone: 0800 563 123 (crisis support)
Sometimes welcoming a baby can bring up trauma from the past. Mosaic support men who have had experiences of trauma and have a range of services designed to meet your needs – whatever they are.
Cost: Free
Visit: https://www.instagram.com/mosaic.wgtn/?hl=en
Phone: 0800 942 294
Keeping Safe
Te Whare Rokiroki, Māori Women’s Refuge provides support and advocacy for women and children who are experiencing domestic violence.
Services include:
A confidential and understanding listening ear to talk though your situation and options, this is available 24/7.
Information and support with safety planning, counselling, legal processes (family court) housing, Oranga Tamariki, Work and Income, Police, medical needs and other support options.
Access to safe-house accommodation for those whose safety is at risk in the community.
In house programmes for women and children who experience domestic violence.
Whānau Protect, a service that supports women to stay in their homes safely, this includes a monitored security alarm for six months and other improvements to keep women and children safe.
Cost: Free
Phone: 0800 REFUGE (733 843) or directly through our crisis line number (04)8025898
Hutt Valley Women’s Refuge work alongside their sister refuge Kōkiri Marae Māori Women’s Refuge to ensure a safe and appropriate service for all women and children experiencing domestic violence.
Hutt Valley Women’s Refuge provide immediate support to keep you safe in times of crisis, but they are so much more than a safe house. They have a team of highly trained, multi-skilled family violence specialists who can provide tailored support to guide you and your whānau. No two situations are the same, and they offer many different solutions.
Services include:
Safe housing
Crisis line
Support for women
Support for children
Women’s safety programmes
Cost: Free
Are You Ok has information to help you understand what an unsafe relationship looks like (including a quiz to help you understand if your relationship is (un)safe), support services available and tips on how to support someone in an unsafe relationship. Call the information line 0800 456 450 for information about services that can help you if you are experiencing or witnessing violence, or want to change your own behaviour. It is OK to ask for help.
Cost: Free
Visit: https://www.areyouok.org.nz/
Phone: 0800 456 450
Porirua Living Without Violence offers various programmes and education designed to assist women, children and men make sense of their experiences. These are provided by trained women and men with an extensive knowledge and understanding of family violence issues.
For tamariki: A 10 week programme of individual, sibling and group sessions for children aged 5-14 yrs. An empowering and educational programme to assist children work through the impacts of being a witness or survivor of domestic violence.
For women: Programmes for women which provide support, education and wellbeing which help women make wise choices and to increase the safety for themselves and their children. Behaviour Change Programmes for women who are aware that the way they express their anger and use violence and abuse against others is harmful.
For men: Behaviour Change Programmes for men that provide them with a structural understanding of men's violence, identifying the range of unaccepted violent behaviours and which teaches non-violent alternatives.
Cost: Free
Visit: https://plwvs.co.nz/
Phone: 04 237 6009
Kāpiti Living Without Violence can help you if you are using violence in your whānau, or if you are affected by violence in your whānau. Kapiti Living Without Violence (KLWV) provides individual and group violence prevention programmes for men, women and youth on the Kapiti Coast. Violence can be sexual, physical, mental, emotional and verbal abuse. Kāpiti Living Without Violence programmes provide people with the tools to live a violent free lifestyle by supporting people to change their attitudes, underlying beliefs and behaviours. Programme participants learn how to gain control of their actions in a way that is respectful to themselves and others.
Cost: Free
Visit: https://klwv.org.nz/
Phone: 04 298 1404
Shakti is a national not-for-profit community organisation specialised in the area of women’s development, empowerment and domestic/ family violence intervention, prevention and awareness. Shakti are a specialist provider of culturally competent support services for women, children and families of Asian, African and Middle Eastern origin. Shati encourage you to reach out to them if you are living a life of fear and violence or if you are unsure that you are affected by domestic violence.
Cost: Free
Phone: 24/7 multi lingual crisis line 0800 742 584
Parenting Support
Porirua Whānau Centre runs may be able to help you with:
Drug & alcohol counselling
Family violence support
Parenting programmes such as HIPPY (Home Interaction Programme for Parents and Youngsters).
HIPPY is a two-year home-based parenting and early childhood programme that builds parents’ confidence and skills, and helps them create a positive and supportive home environment that actively benefits and encourages their children to learn.
HIPPY helps parents to lay the foundation for their children’s success in school and later life.
Cost: Free
Taeaomanino Trust believes that all tamariki have the right to the best possible start in life. However, they are aware that some tamriki grow up in challenging environments. The Family Start programme supports whānau who are struggling with challenges or problems that put health, education and social outcomes for their tamariki at risk. Participation by whānau in the programme is voluntary.
Your tamariki will be at the centre of the Family Start programme with the support of a trained Social Worker working alongside families towards identified goals for both child and family.
Cost: Free
Visit: https://www.taeaomanino.org.nz/services/family-start/
Te Kākano / Family Start is a programme that helps give tamariki the best possible start in life. It provides free, intensive home-visiting support to whānau who may be struggling with challenges or problems that make it harder for them to provide their tamariki with the care and support they need. The Te Kākano / Family Start whānau workers work alongside whānau to:
help tamariki grow strong, learn, stay healthy and have positive relationships
help whānau be more confident about caring for their child
help whānau create a strong and positive future for their child
Visits from our Te Kākano/ Family Start whānau workers can start in the early stages of pregnancy (from 12 weeks) and referrals are taken up until a baby is one year old. In some cases it’s also possible to refer children aged between one and two. If the whānau identifies ongoing needs, whānau workers can stay involved until the child goes to school.
Referrals can be made in two ways:
Whānau can refer themselves
Whānau can be referred by another organisation who is working with them or who has worked with them in the past, such as a midwife or a district health board staff member.
Cost: Free
Visit: https://www.wesleyca.org.nz/what-we-do/parenting-and-families/family-start/
Parent Help provide counselling, online parenting courses and support for all parenting issues, from the smallest to the most serious issue of child abuse. Parent Help recognise Te Tiriti o Waitangi as a founding and living document of Aotearoa. They are committed to developing a culturally appropriate way of working with Māori whānau, agencies and staff. Parent Help’s vision is to foster strong and resilient whānau living free from abuse and neglect.
Cost: Helpline is free. Counselling sessions are between $20 - $90 per hour
Visit: https://www.parenthelp.org.nz/
Phone: 0800 568 856
The Incredible Years basic parenting programme is for parents and caregivers of children 3–8 years old. It is designed to develop positive family relationships and empower parents to make changes and to manage difficult behaviour.
Why attend Incredible Years?
Learning parenting skills in a supportive group is effective and fun.
The course is facilitated by health and education professionals experienced in helping children and their families, including those with special needs.
Weekly phone calls from a facilitator help you make ideas from the course work for your unique child and family.
Research has shown that the Incredible Years programme changes behaviour and those changes are maintained over time.
Cost: Free
Visit: http://www.incrediblefamilies.org.nz/incredible-years/
Parent 2 Parent offer coffee groups and peer support for parents of a child with a disability. Often raising a child with a disability is an experience that isn’t planned, and Parent 2 Parent know it can be a challenging journey. Parent 2 Parent can inform, educate, inspire and support you as you navigate your way through your family’s experience with disability. Their services are free and confidential.
Cost: Free
We are a toy library in Stokes Valley, Lower Hutt. We provide a service whereby members borrow up to 4 different sets of toys for 3 weeks at a time. We have a wide range of toys to suit every child’s development age, stage and interests. We cater for children from newborn to 8 years of age.
Cost: $50 for 6-months, $65 for 12-months
Website: https://koraunui-stokes-valley-toy-library.mailchimpsites.com/
Email: stokesvalleytoylibrary@gmail.com