Strengthening Families - CNT

Strengthening Families helps you get the best support for your family/whanau to thrive.

All the people and agencies who could help your family are brought together. Together you discuss your family's needs and agree on what everyone is going to do.

Eleven New Zealand government agencies are actively involved with Strengthening Families along with hundreds of community-based services.

Strengthening Families pulls together support for families/whanau in New Zealand. The people helping your family may be a budget advisor, truancy officer, social worker, medical specialist, counsellor,teacher or other support worker.  

You work out together what support your family/whanau needs and what each service is going to do.  It is set up so families/whanau tell their story once to everyone at the same time. Then everyone agrees on a plan to move you forward.

Strengthening Families is free and 100% voluntary. 

Strengthening Families is for any family/whanau

Families of all shapes and sizes use Strengthening Families. This includes solo parents, grandparents raising grandchildren,teenage parents, foster parents, and any other family type you can imagine.

In many cases families will already be involved with different agencies. However, you do not have to be involved with two or more agencies when you first get in touch. If you could benefit from involvement by other agencies,then Strengthening Families might be right for you. Strengthening Families might be right if you are facing challenges like: 

• finding a warm, comfortable home for your family/ whanau
• getting help with your child or young persons health or behaviour
• money troubles
• doing something about your child not doing well at school
• coping with stress at home.
• family relationships
• family violence
• addiction.

Strengthening Families is there to help your family/ whanau before any problems get too big. Families often get help with several of these things.

Who is it for?

Strengthening Families is for families in all shapes and sizes.

Strengthening Families is for families when:

• more than one community or government service is or could support you and your family/ whanau
• your family/ whanau has a child, children or young person (s) in your care
• support services and government agencies are working together will help your family/ whanau achieve its dreams and goals, and this is in the best interests of your child or whole family/ whanau.

When not to use Strengthening Families

If things are going well with two or more agencies involved with your family/ whanau, you may not need to use Strengthening Families.

Families facing challenges where there is suspected child abuse or neglect are not able to use Strengthening Families.  Child,Youth and Family should be contacted if you are worried about a child or young person. Phone 0508 FAMILY (0508 326 459), or Gail Poole Strengthening Families Co-ordinator  0276001800 

Strengthening Families is a not mediation service or available to reconcile family break-ups. There are other ways you get help with these types of issues, including Relationship Services and the Family Court.