Dunedin Services
We support parents, children and families to deal with the challenges of family life through the range of quality programmes and services we offer. Visiting and working with you in your home environment or with children in some school environments are important features of our service. All our services are voluntary and free. Staff at Anglican Family Care are qualified and experienced in working with families to help develop and strengthen skills, and provide support in areas such as:
We offer the following programmes:
Family Start
Our Family Start programme is a free and voluntary home visiting programme which provides support to expectant parents and parents of newborn and young children.
Our focus is the health, education, safety and development of the child and supporting parents to achieve their goals.
Family Start will help:
- The child to grow strong, learn, stay healthy and have positive relationships
- Parent’s and caregivers to be more confident about caring for their child
- Whānau create a strong and positive future for their child
Our workers are committed to working alongside families advocating, affirming and supporting parents in making positive choices for themselves and their children.
For more information please see the Family Start Brochure.
Home-based Family Support
Our Home-based Family Support service involves working with parents/caregivers who want to develop and strengthen their parenting skills and confidence so that their children are able to reach their full potential.
Our social workers visit families in their own homes to:
- Support child development, safety and well-being
- Develop confidence in parenting skills and child management
- Increase parent’s/caregiver's understanding of their children’s needs
- Build on strengths and develop self-confidence
- Link parents/caregivers into community and support networks
For further information, please see our Home-based Family Support brochure.
Therapeutic services for children and families
We provide free therapeutic services in a warm, welcoming and non-judgemental environment for children and their whānau.
There are two types of services available:
This is a child-led therapeutic service for children which can be short- or long-term.
This service is for people who wish to enhance the wellbeing of children in their care by being supported to live their lives in a more satisfying way - both personally and in their relationships with their children and whānau.
We accept self-referrals, or with consent, referrals from any other professionals involved in supporting a family.
Social Workers in Schools
We have two Social Workers based in five Dunedin schools - Brockville, Carisbrook, Concord, Pine Hill and Bathgate Park.
Social Workers in Schools is a free social work service to children in the school and their whānau. It provides early assistance to help overcome barriers to a child’s academic success.
Social Workers in Schools work with the strengths of the child and their whānau to help achieve positive outcomes for the child. These are:
- Children are engaged in their school
- Safe, socialised children who have a strong sense of well being
- Healthy children.
Caregiving and Respite Care
This service aims to provide emergency, short term and respite care for children from birth to 16 years where it would be in the best interest of the child and based on an assessment of the situation. We recruit, train and support a caregiver group to provide care services. Respite care can be provided as part of a plan of support developed with the family.
If you are interested in becoming a caregiver please refer to the Be a Caregiver section of the website.
Restorative Justice
A community-based justice process that offers victims of a crime an opportunity to participate in addressing the harm done, and what can be done realistically by the offender to put things right. All referrals are received through the Justice system.
