Strong families are the foundation of strong communities. In New Zealand, family support spans a wide spectrum — from universal parenting programs available to all new parents, to intensive family intervention for families in crisis. The Whānau Ora model of family-centred, Māori-led service delivery has transformed how New Zealand thinks about family support. Grant funding supports parenting programs, home visiting, family violence prevention, whānau development, and the early intervention that helps families before crisis hits.
The New Zealand family context
What family support covers
Why family support matters
Ministry of Social Development (MSD)
Ministry for Children (Oranga Tamariki)
Ministry of Health
Te Puni Kōkiri
Whānau Ora funding and policy.
The Tindall Foundation
Family wellbeing and early childhood.
Todd Foundation
Family and child wellbeing.
J.R. McKenzie Trust
Child and family social services.
Lottery Grants Board
Family and community programs.
Community foundations
Local family support programs.
The Lion Foundation
Community and family programs.
Parenting programs
Home visiting
Whānau Ora
Family violence prevention
Mental health and parenting
Kinship and grandparent care
Refugee and migrant family support
Teen and young parents
Whānau Ora — developed under the leadership of Hon. Tariana Turia — is New Zealand's most distinctive approach to family support:
- Places the whānau (extended family) at the centre of service delivery
- Builds on Māori strengths and cultural identity
- Takes a holistic view of wellbeing — not siloed services
- Led by Māori and Pacific providers
- Uses navigators who work alongside whānau to access services
Grant applications that incorporate Whānau Ora principles — whānau-centred, strengths-based, culturally grounded — are more appropriate for Māori family support than imported Western models.
Early intervention focus
Family support is most effective before crisis. Applications for universal or early-stage programs — reaching families before they reach tipping points — are more cost-effective than crisis response.
Cultural appropriateness
Māori and Pacific family support must be culturally designed — not generic Western programs translated into te reo. Applications with genuine Māori or Pacific community design are more effective.
Whānau Ora alignment
Applications that incorporate Whānau Ora principles — collective wellbeing, strengths-based, holistic, led by community — are well-aligned with New Zealand's policy direction for family support.
Evidence-based programs
Many parenting programs have good evidence bases (Triple P, Incredible Years). Applications using evidence-based curricula while adapting for cultural context are more credible than untested programs.
Tahua's grants management platform supports family support funders in New Zealand — with whānau engagement tracking, parenting outcome data, family wellbeing measurement, and the reporting tools that help family support funders demonstrate their investment in stronger, healthier New Zealand families.