Family Service Centres
Family Service Centres provide integrated education, health and social services in a single community centre, to children and families in need of support. They are a precursor to Early Years Service Hubs.
The centres have been operational since 1993 and were first established as part of a programme to break the cycle of intergenerational disadvantage, and improve the ability of families to be self-reliant. They were modelled on the Kelvin Road Preschool and Whānau Centre in Auckland.
Services provided at Family Service Centres include early childhood education; advice and support for parenting, including the Home Instruction Programme for Preschool and Year One Youngsters (HIPPY), health services (such as family planning, immunisation and WellChild / amariki Ora health checks) and social services (incorporating advisory and referral services, home based family support and counselling).
Locations of Family Service Centres
| Location | Provider |
|---|---|
| Huntly | Waahi Whaanui Trust |
| Opotiki | Whakatohea Māori Trust Boar |
| Porirua | Cannons Creek Fanau Centre Trusts |
| Motueka | Motueka Family Service Centre |
| Mangere East | Mangere East Family Service Centre |
| Papakura | Papakura Family Service Centre |
Expected outcomes
The programme outcomes include:
- increasing the chances of positive school experiences among children from educationally and economically disadvantaged backgrounds
- empowering parents to view themselves as primary educators of their children
- creating an educational environment in the home that encourages literacy
- fostering parental involvement in school and community life
- stimulating the cognitive development of the child
- improving interaction between parents and their children.
Looking forward
The Family Services Centre is currently being reviewed. The results of this review will give us a clearer understanding of the programme including volumes, and recommended improvements for enhancing programme outcomes.
Practice Guidelines
Service specifications, which used to be part of the contract, have now been repackaged into easy to read guidelines. These are to be read alongside contracts as best practice ways to deliver each service.
