Parents and caregivers looking for advice and support for their children might find the following organisations helpful.
Please help us keep this parent resource list up-to-date; contact Julie Moore Julie@fyd.org.nz with any changes in details or if you are involved with or know of other organisations that provide help, information, advice or support to parents.
Forward Focus provides work preparation and training courses for young people and a range of topics are covered including obtaining a drivers licence, and developing skills that prepare young people for work.
Big Brothers Big Sisters is designed to provide young people with trustworthy adults who will listen, take an interest in them and be there in times of need.
Big Buddy matches well-screened male mentors with fatherless boys and is currently delivered in the Auckland region.
The Buddy Programme is a preventative mentoring programme for children between the ages of 4 and 12 who are in need of additional adult support.
Discovery is a positive, high-energy programme filled with excitement, challenges and fun and it provides an opportunity for participants to explore their untapped potential. The course is a seven-day residential life skills course for 14-18 year olds led by a team of professional educators. The course costs $2250.00.
Outward Bound uses an incredible learning environment to aid social and emotional learning, the foundations of personal development. Sponsorship and scholarships for a range of courses are available.
Among the courses available are:
As New Zealand’s leading provider of outdoor education to secondary schools, the OPC vision is to provide education using outdoor pursuits to New Zealanders. OPC offers a variety of courses for youth ranging from their most popular course, the Youth Adventure Challenge to their Summit Leadership and youth skills courses.
The Spirit programme facilitates opportunities for young people to discover things about themselves and those around them. The Emphasis of the Youth Development Programme is on team work, leadership, independence, problem solving, motivation, public speaking, self confidence, community spirit, self esteem and over coming challenges.
Raise up is a youth programme for 13 to 18 year olds that has been designed to give youth a safe and healthy environment in which to relax, socialise and achieve their goals. The aim is to support youth in being physically fit, to encourage personal ownership and leadership, and to foster a sense of pride and respect for themselves, and the communities in which they live.
Tracks specialises in organising events that are a 'Rite of Passage' for boys becoming young men, and 'Tides' specialises in 'Rites of Passage' for girls becoming young women. Events aim to encourage all young people, instill positive values, increase self esteem and help develop visions for the future. Ongoing access is provided to a supportive community of peers, role models and mentors.
Family services link, a really useful government service to access community help
0800 211 211 - The 211 Community Helpline is a free, confidential service that connects people to a wide range of community services and information.
Provides meetings on a daily basis for those whose lives have been affected by someone else's drinking. Provides a group for teens called Alateen, principally for young people aged 13-17 years
Phone: 09 309 4792
Provide a range of services to treat addictions.
Phone: 04 384 5649
Autism New Zealand Inc. provides support, training, advocacy, resources and information on autism spectrum disorders including Asperger syndrome. Our members include those who have these conditions, their family/whanau, caregivers and professionals working with them.
Parent to Parent is a support and information network for parents of children with special needs. Parent to Parent provides information and emotional support to families who have a child with a disability, special need or health impairment. There are more than 3600 different conditions covered by the service, ranging from the very common through to the rarest condition.
Headspace is a community resource aimed at providing good information about mental health and illness for young people, their family/whanau and their schools.
NetSafe, the programme of New Zealand's Internet Safety Group (ISG), is cybersafety education for all New Zealanders - children, parents, schools, community organisations and businesses. The ISG has been designated the Ministry of Education's 'agent of choice' for cybersafety education in New Zealand.
Based in Auckland, this is a private company that offers regular weekly classes in drama and dance for young people through to adults which lead to professional productions, and offer school holiday programmes.
Family Services is part of the Ministry of Social Development and provides a range of services and programmes to support families to be strong, well informed and connected with each other.
Family Works is a national organisation providing social work, counselling and support for children, adolescents and their families as well as development programmes to help young people make good choices.
Kiwi Families provides one of New Zealand's largest and most comprehensive free information websites for NZ parents. Kiwi Families' mission is to save other parents time, effort and frustration in searching for good quality parent-related information, including an extensive Support Groups Section.
The Parent and Family Resource Centre (PFRC) offers support, information and advocacy for parents and families/whanau with disabled and special needs children or young people.
Youthline provides support for parents that includes: a dedicated email service that connects parents with trained youth counsellors, experienced in parenting and working with young people; online information sheets for parents on topics such as alcohol, sex, risk taking behaviours, family dynamics and a sheet titled 'youth advice to parents' and parenting courses.
Toughlove is a non-profit, self-help organisation that provides ongoing education and active support to families, empowering parents and young people to accept responsibility for their actions and stop destructive behaviours.
New Zealand’s leading refugee resettlement agency, RMS Refugee Resettlement support and work alongside refugees who are restarting their lives in New Zealand.
Seasons for Growth
Seasons for Growth is a weekly programme for adults or children dealing with change, loss or grief. They currently do not have a website, please contact co-ordinator, Delia Ruane, on 09 360 3027 or deliar@cda.org.nz.
Skylight, currently operating in Auckland schools, provides a national support service for New Zealand children and young people who are experiencing change, loss and grief - whatever its cause.
A valuable source of information for youth issues, Youthline also offer a counselling service both in person and by telephone (individual and family therapy) and self-development programmes. Youth help line: 0800 37 66 33
Your child’s school may run or be interested in starting up one of these programmes.
Resources span the ages 5 through to 19 and aim to help children and young people develop positive behaviours such as self-discipline, good judgment, responsibility and the ability to communicate effectively and to resolve conflicts peacefully.