Providers:

Family and Whanau Care and Support

Wellchild's aim is to provide educational, emotional, social and environmental support for families and whanau, in good times and in bad.

Some extra support can be provided through additional home visiting and group health education sessions for these families and whanau. Evidence from New Zealand and overseas shows that such supportive measures, when delivered by culturally sensitive health professionals or health workers, results in positive health gains for those children and families in need.

Family and whanau care and support may include the following (according to the family and whanau needs).

During first six weeks

• assess and discuss parental/ caregiver concerns
• support network including agencies as well as family
• family planning
• post-natal depression
• home help
• parenting skills
• Tamariki Ora provider transfer and choice of family doctor
• child protection
• sleep (family and baby)
• breastfeeding
• recognition of illness

From six weeks to six months

• assess and discuss parental/ caregiver concerns
• parenting skills
• social support including availability of social services
• stress and fatigue
• avoidance of tobacco, drugs, alcohol
• child safety including safe home
• child protection
• breastfeeding and weaning
• dental enrolment
• dental check and advice
• returning to work
• recognition of illness

From six months to 12 months

• assess and discuss parental/ caregiver concerns
• child protection
• environmental safety including poisoning
• family planning
• child development
• recognition of illness
• nutritional advice

12 months to 18 months

• assess and discuss parental/ caregiver concerns
• eating for toddlers
• family planning
• child protection
• environmental safety
• recognition of illness
• toddler behaviour

18 months to 24 months

• social and educational network including:
• creche
• playgroups
• kohanga reo
• enrolment in pre-school at two years old
• toddler behaviour
• environmental safety

Two years to Four years

• assess and discuss parental/ caregiver concerns
• child behaviour
• links with early education service
• “Safe Before Five”
• child protection
• social network for child and family
• toilet training

Five Years

• assess and discuss parental/ caregiver concerns
• ready for school
• parental, family and whanau participation in child’s school activities
• “Keeping Ourselves Safe”
• dental advice
• eating advice

Venues:

• family home
• community or health clinic
• pre-school facility
• marae
• school
• mobile clinics