Community Connect

ISSUE 5 • DECEMBER 2008

E-news from Family and Community Services

Welcome to the fifth edition of Family and Community Services' e-newsletter. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to tell us your stories, please email us on enews@facs.govt.nz.

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Issue Five - December 2008:

Wishing You Happy Holidays

ReStart – a Helping Hand for Kiwis

Hot Off the Press

It's Time to Start Telling These Stories

TechSoup hits New Zealand

New Early Years Hub for Kaipara

Moving from Outputs to Outcomes

Get into the Christmas spirit

Honouring the Nelson Newcomers Network volunteers

Sixty Graduate from Mauri Ora

First Sod Turned for Shirley Early Years Hub

Ashburton Social Wellbeing Strategy launched at Expo

New Early Years Hub for Kaipara

Kaipara families will soon benefit from an Early Years Service Hub in January next year. The Hub will be situated in the Dargaville Plunket Rooms on Hokianga Road.

The building is being renovated to improve the layout of the site and the premises will be shared with Plunket nurse Julie Hobson.

Pictured at the new Early Years Service Hub in Kaipara are Manager, Lynette Matthews, and Plunket nurse, Julie Hobson.

The Hub's manager Lynette Matthews said her role will be to develop a strong network with the Kaipara-based early childhood service providers so that the Hub will be able to refer families to them.

"The Hub will not replace existing services but strengthen the co-ordination of services to improve access for families for the best results for children," said the Hub's manager Lynette Matthews.

The Hub will also run a variety of workshops for families on issues that they face as parents and caregivers.

The goal of Early Years Service Hubs is to work with services to ensure that vulnerable families with children pre-birth to six years old have better access to the support and help they need through improved co-ordination and integration of services. This includes services like antenatal care and parenting support and education.

» For more information on Early Years Service Hubs.

Additional information provided by Rose Stirling from the Dargaville and District News.