MELLOW PARENTING

Mellow Parenting is a one-day-a-week programme that is funded by Counties Manukau District Health Board to support families who have significant relationship or parenting problems with children aged under five.

Following an assessment, families living in the Counties Manukau area can attend Mellow Parenting free of charge.

The programme has a proven track record of engaging hard-to-reach families and helping them improve their relationships with their children, by building on their own strengths to learn to parent well.

Mellow Parenting is suitable for families where there may be domestic violence, child abuse, mental health problems or difficulties between immediate or extended family members.

The programme’s benefits include helping parents to improve their emotional and physical well-being, helping them develop confidence to parent well and to raise confident children.

Mellow Parenting is based at ATWC’s St Mary’s Family Centre in Otahuhu and runs over 14 weeks. During parent-only sessions, children are cared for at St Mary’s Pre-school on the same site. Other sites can also be considered for this programme.

Programme participants must:

  • Live in the Counties Manukau District Health Board when first referred, either by an agency or by the family themselves
  • Be the main caregiver of at least one child or children aged under five at the time of referral
  • Be aged over 16 years on the day of consent
  • Want help with parenting, be willing to participate in the group and not be referred as a result of court order

The programme includes:

  • Free transport to and from the weekly group sessions, if clients are unable to provide their own
  • shared lunch times for children, parents and staff
  • structured parenting workshops
  •  individual analysis of video-taped family mealtimes
  • activities, outings and “homework” to develop and reinforce new parenting skills

For more information about Mellow Parenting please contact Anna McKenzie on 09 276 3729 ext 9004 or email annam@atwc.org.nz or Seonaigh Stevens 09 276 3729 or email seonaighs@atwc.org.nz

 

Click here for the Family Therapy Service Referral form.