New Zealand has more than 400,000 unpaid family carers — people caring for disabled, elderly, or chronically ill family members. Carers often experience significant physical, emotional, and financial strain. Grants fund carer respite, training, peer support, and wellbeing. This guide covers the key funding sources.
Carers NZ is the national carer advocacy organisation:
- Carer support: Information, navigation, and peer support
- Carer wellbeing: Resources for carer health and wellbeing
- Advocacy: Policy and funding advocacy for carers
- Carer survey: Tracking carer experience nationally
Whaikaha funds carer support for disability:
- Carer support payment: Recognition payment for family carers
- Respite care: Short-term break for family carers
- Support worker funding: Funding that supplements family caring
- Enabling Good Lives: Self-directed support including respite
Health system carer support:
- Carer support for mental health: Respite and support for mental health family carers
- Aged care carers: Home support for carers of older adults
- Dementia carers: Respite and support for dementia carers
Gaming trusts fund carer support:
- Four Winds Foundation: Community carer support services
- Grassroots Trust: Community wellbeing including carers
- Pub Charity: Community health and carer support
- Lion Foundation: Community health
Gaming trust carer support applications:
- Respite care costs
- Carer support group meetings
- Carer training and education
- Practical support (housework, transport)
- Wellbeing activities for carers
Lottery Community Wellbeing: Carer support organisations and respite care.
Age Concern NZ supports carers of older adults:
- Information and resources for carers
- Elder abuse prevention — carers under stress
- Support groups for carers of older adults
Alzheimers NZ supports dementia carers:
- Carer training and education
- Support groups
- Respite information and navigation
Respite care options:
- In-home respite: Support worker comes to the home
- Day programmes: Person cared-for goes to day activity
- Residential respite: Short-term stay in residential facility
- Emergency respite: Unplanned carer crisis support
Māori family caring:
- Te Puni Kōkiri: Māori carer support
- Whānau Ora: Whānau-centred caring with support
- Māori community: Marae and whānau as natural caring network
Young people caring for family members:
- Young carers: Under-18 carers often providing significant care
- Schools: Support for young carers in education
- MSD: Recognition of young carer situation
Strong applications demonstrate:
- Carers reached: Number of family carers accessing support
- Respite: Hours of respite provided and carer break achieved
- Wellbeing: Carer mental and physical health outcomes
- Training: Carers skilled in the care they provide
- Peer support: Carer community and connection
- Equity: Māori and Pacific carers with less access to support
- Young carers: Identification and support for young carers
- Sustainability: Ongoing carer support beyond grant period
Tahua's grants management platform helps carer support organisations manage grant applications across Carers NZ, Whaikaha, Te Whatu Ora, gaming trusts, and community funders, tracking carer wellbeing, respite, and support outcomes for family carers.