Community Connect

ISSUE 6 • MARCH 2009

E-news from Family and Community Services

Welcome to the sixth 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.

» Download Community Connect Issue 6 - PDF - 120kb

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Issue Six - March 2009:

Te Anau Heartlands has immigration success

PAFT makes a difference

MSD computers put to good use in Cook Islands

Results Based Accountability reaps rewards in Hawkes Bay

Fund supports innovative positive parenting

Franklin Family Support opening a new office

Community Link Approach Builds on Heartland Services

Community Action Fund Round Four now open

Planning for success

Twenty parent volunteers offer to become teen parent mentors

Tough guys promote love and respect

Whānau Christmas event celebrates family

DVD provides voice for teens

Not-for- profit annual pay survey helps set pay expectations

What's happening in the community

Twenty parent volunteers offer to become teen parent mentors

As a result of the Auckland Women's Centre's Local Initiatives Fund (LIF) from SKIP, 20 parents have volunteered to become mentors to teen parents. 

This mentoring programme is a collaborative effort between the Centre, Brothers in Arms (a mentoring programme provider) and Te Waipuna Puawai (a local community development provider). Mentors will provide support to young parents by enabling them to feel connected to their community.

The project has been designed to model the six SKIP principles: 

• love and warmth
• talking and listening
• guidance and understanding
• limits and boundaries
• consistency and consequences
• structured and secure world.

This is achieved by offering mentors and teen parents opportunities to deepen their understanding of parenting support and respectful relationships. These principles enable parents to raise happy, healthy and confident children.

Auckland Women's Centre SKIP Champion Annalise Myers, believes the project has the potential to be a huge success. She says there is a genuine wish from the agencies and volunteers to engage with the teen parents, and the SKIP messages.

"Our funding from SKIP has enabled us to provide the first stage of the project with an introductory session to develop two training sessions for mentors and a big whānau event where the teen parents will meet their mentors."

The SKIP Local Initiatives Fund supports communities to explore innovative ways of promoting positive parenting. The Fund gives priority to community projects which involve a range of activities and encourage local level participation.

» For more information on SKIP and LIF, and Auckland Women's Centre.