Te Puawai Aroha is a fun and free 4-day programme. It is offered in the school holidays for children and teens (8 to 17 years old) whose parents or caregivers experience mental health or addiction challenges.

Te Puawai Aroha is designed for families with children aged between 8 and 17 years old, with a parent or primary caregiver who is currently getting support from a mental health, addiction, or related support service (GPs may also refer). 

Whānau must be living in the Counties Manukau region.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us! Our wonderful coordinator will answer all your questions, via email or by phoning 021 806 381.

If you think Te Puawai Aroha might be beneficial for your whānau or for someone you know, please get in touch with your key worker or GP. 

They can make a referral to us by contacting our programme coordinator.

Our programme coordinator will then make contact directly with whānau to gather more information and provide advice about eligibility and other programme details. 

Adapted from an Australian programme for children of parents with mental illness (COPMI), our programme was blessed with the name Te Puawai Aroha, which means “blossoming love”. 

The programme’s tagline “Growing stronger, together” reflects its aims to:

• Build resilience  

• Improve whanaungatanga/connections between family members 

• Explore ways to cope with challenges

• Learn more about how mental illnesses and/or addiction affect the whānau. 

Everyone is encouraged to talk and learn more about emotions, as a way of learning about how people may have challenges with mental health and addictions. 

Programme content and format

Each day covers a different theme:

• Day 1: Resilience

• Day 2: Knowledge/resources

• Day 3: Improving connections/building relationships within the whānau

• Day 4: Family/Whānau Day. Families are invited to participate in activities that foster connections, support one another, spend quality time together and create memories. 

Children (9:00am-3:00pm), teenagers, and parents/caregivers (1:00-3:00pm) meet separately on days 1 to 3 – then everyone comes together on the last day to have some fun together. A nanny is available to look after children under the age of 8, so that parents or caregivers can attend the afternoon groups.

Te Puawai Aroha is free to attend. We provide morning tea and lunch, and cover transport costs. Teenagers and caregivers are welcome to join the children’s group for lunch each day before the afternoon session.

Once a term we offer a follow-up group so whānau who have recently attended the programme can reconnect with other whānau, share changes since the last programme and spend quality time together.

We will connect you with a keyworker or GP, if your whānau needs ongoing support. We also inform your referrer about the themes covered during the programme, any suggestions or referrals that we spoke about together, or about any concerns that we may have about care and protection issues.

Te Puawai Aroha runs each week of term one, two and three school holidays. Whānau can choose to attend week 1 or week 2. The programme is always held within Counties Manukau. The location changes each time so that families across the region get the opportunity to attend. 

On-going Support

Te Puawai Aroha is a lot of fun; however it is not a long-term support service and so we make sure you have a keyworker or GP who can continue to support you and your whānau after the programme ends. We also inform your referrer about the themes covered during the programme, any suggestions or referrals that we spoke about together, or about any concerns that we may have about care and protection issues.