Kaipara Family Centre
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- Kaipara Family Centre
Posted 05/01/2010
The Kaipara Family Centre is bringing together local people with a commitment to children's wellbeing to work with each other.
The steering group of the Family Centre was formed out of community and agency collaboration to address the needs of families with young children. Issues faced by parents in this rural community include transport, isolation and lack of affordable child care.
The Kaipara Family Centre opened in the middle of Dargaville in June 2006. It provides a friendly home environment for parents and caregivers to drop in, have a chat and feed their babies.
"When they've been to the supermarket and are running ragged and feeling stressed, mums can come in for a cuppa and relax," says Simone Matthews, Secretary of Kaipara Family Centre.
The Family Centre wants to make Dargaville a child-friendly place for local families and visitors. Refreshed parents have more energy to spend longer in town, increasing community and business activity there.
Centre activities include SKIP (Strategies for Kids - Information for Parents) 'Positive Parenting' workshops and a first-time mums group run by a Plunket nurse and the Centre Coordinator. The Coordinator's part-time salary was funded by The Tindall Foundation.
In late 2008, an 'Early Years Services Hub' was established at Kaipara Family Centre. A wider range of organisations and services will share overhead costs to support the long-term sustainability of the Kaipara Family Centre.
For further information contact:
Simone Matthews, Secretary, Kaipara Family Centre
Email: kaipara.sages@xtra.co.nz