Strengthening Families

About Strengthening Families

Strengthening Families is a structured process for government agencies and community organizations to work together to improve well-being for children, young people, and their families / whanau. It provides coordinated support for families dealing with more than two government or non-government organizations by encouraging the agencies to work together.

Everyone benefits. Agencies are not repeating each other's work, families get to see everyone at once and don't have to visit each agency separately. Family participation in the process is purely voluntary.

Goals

The aim of Strengthening Families is to shift the focus from crisis intervention to providing early support to familiies, so as to prevent difficult situations from escalating.

Families / Whanau facing multiple life problems may have difficulty accessing the services they need and some do not have the confidence to seek help. Often services already provided are operating in isolation and do not address all of the same issues. The strengthening Families process, which is tailored to local needs and circumstances, ensures that families / whanau receive an improved level of service.

How to get involved in Strengthening Families

A family can be approached by a staff member from an agency they are involved with, or they can ask to become involved in the program. Participation is voluntary and Strengthening Families meetings only occur with the custodial parents / caregiver's consent.