There are a number of other great organisations that offer specialist support and information services for children, young people and their whānau. If you haven't found what you are looking for on our website, you may find something useful here.
If you, or someone you know, is feeling suicidal or in a life threatening situation please call 111.
National helplines
- 1737, Need to talk? Free call or text 1737 to talk to a trained counsellor.
- Anxiety New Zealand 0800 ANXIETY (0800 269 4389)
- Depression.org.nz 0800 111 757 or text 4202
- Kidsline 0800 54 37 54 for people up to 18 years old. Open 24/7.
- Lifeline 0800 543 354
- Mental Health Foundation 09 623 4812, to access its free resource and information service.
- Rural Support Trust 0800 787 254
- Samaritans 0800 726 666
- Suicide Crisis Helpline 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO)
- Supporting Families in Mental Illness 0800 732 825
- thelowdown.co.nz Web chat, email chat or free text 5626
- What's Up 0800 942 8787 (for 5 to 18-year-olds). Phone counselling available Monday-Friday, noon-11pm and weekends, 3pm-11pm. Online chat is available 3pm-10pm daily.
- Youthline 0800 376 633, free text 234, email [email protected], or find online chat and other support options here.
- If it is an emergency, click here to find the number for your local crisis assessment team.
For children
Free Children's Phone Lines to call so that you can talk to someone and get help and support
- Whatsup - phone service (0800 942 8787).open from 11am -11pm 7 days, 365 days of the year, including public holidays
- Need to talk? - free text or talk to a trained Counsellor - dial 1737
Bullying
- No Bully - info for kids and parents about bullying
If violence happens
For children facing their own health or disability challenges
- Growing Up With Medical Problems - for kids and teens
For parents
General Parenting Support
- Parenting Place (NZ) Hot Tips for Parents - excellent downloads to choose from, according to the age of your child
- Kiwi Families - Passionate Parents (NZ) Tips for Parents - free resources about raising children in New Zealand.
- The Goldfish Guide to Raising Optimistic Kids - a download booklet (USA)
- A Positive Approach (US) - info for parents parenting teens
- Great Activities to Help your Children become more Optimistic (USA)
- Great Activities to Help your Children become more Resilient (USA)
- Stress in Children and Adolescents: Tips for Parents (USA)
Parenting a Child with Special Needs
Supporting Anxious Children
Anxiety and Anxiety Disorders in Children - information for parents
When Children Have Attachment Issues
Attachment Disorders & Reactive Attachment Disorder (USA)
General family support links
- Community and Family Services Directory for locating support for your family near you - this is excellent
- Family Times - a selection of useful information for New Zealand families
- Parents Inc - offers programmes and resources for NZ parents
- Barnardos - support and information for NZ families
- Parents Centre New Zealand
- Grandparents Raising Grandchildren - support and information for grandparents who are raising their grandchildren
- Jigsaw - an active network of child protection services throughout New Zealand
- The New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse - offers info and resources on family violence prevention
- Tough Love NZ - support for parents of kids with extreme behaviour issues
- Oranga Tamariki - for help when children are at risk, and for info about adoption and parenting
- Victim Support NZ - provides info and support to NZ victims of crime
- Suicide Prevention Information NZ - suicide prevention info, research and projects in New Zealand
- Relationship Services - info and resources available on family relationship issues
Trauma Support Websites
Supporting Children and Teens
Tips for Supporting Teenagers after a Traumatic Event
Understanding Child Traumatic Stress – How psychological trauma in children differs from trauma in adults. (The National Child Traumatic Stress Network)
PTSD in Children and Adolescents (USA Dept of Veteran Affairs)
About Traumatic Stress and Managing It
Understanding and Dealing with PTSD
Healing Emotional and Psychological Trauma - Symptoms, Treatment, and Recovery
For Professionals and Support Workers
The USA National Child Traumatic Stress network, offers excellent free online learning courses
The effects of earthquakes on families and children
A Brief Description of EMDR Therapy – (EMDR Network)
Please note Skylight does not provide EDMR Therapy
Trauma, Attachment, and Stress Disorders: Rethinking and Reworking Developmental Issues – brain-based view of emotional trauma and its impact on children. (Trauma Resources)
If you know someone is in prison PILLARS NZ
Bereavement
Dove Hospice & Wellness - supporting people with life threatening illness - services and support groups in Auckland
Help Guide - coping with grief and loss, support for bereavement
Bereavement by Age Group (children and teens) (NZ)
Victim Support NZ - provides info and support to NZ victims of crime
Winton's Wish - supporting bereaved children, teens and their families (UK)
Bereaved Families of Ontario - support for bereaved families (Canada)
Dougy Centre - grief support for children, teens and parents (USA)
HELLO GRIEF! - excellent US grief support site
Complicated Grief - Mayo Clinic (USA)
Explaining Death to Children
My Grandad Plants People!- a simple and very engaging guide for grown-ups when children ask tricky questions about death by Chris Earl of P&SW Co-operative Society (UK)
Helping a Child When a Parent Has Died (NZ)
What to do when your child dies and experiencing grief after your child dies - information for parents and carers (NZ)
Miscarriage Support - a team of volunteers of various ages who have all experienced the loss of babies and would like to provide emotional support and information for women and their families during and after miscarriage and subsequent pregnancies.
Sands NZ Pregnancy, baby and infant loss support. Sands is a network of parent-run, non-profit groups supporting families who have experienced the death of a baby. We have over 25 groups/contact people around the country.
SIDS NZ is a national organisation of parents, families and friends of babies or young children who have died suddenly and/or unexpectedly of any cause, including SIDS.
Twin Loss NZ- A New Zealand wide group for those who have lost one or more or all their twins, triplets or more from early pregnancy to childhood and beyond, including the loss of a twin sibling in adulthood.
SIDS and Kids Western Australia - for parents experiencing miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal and SIDs death (Australia)
The Lost Ones - after the loss of a child through Miscarriage, Stillbirth or SIDS. Click on 'forum' for the discussion pages.
Helping Siblings after the Death of a Brother or Sister
Helping your child after their sister, brother or cousin has died: information for parents or carers
After a Suicide
Find support after a suicide - After a suicide NZ
Bereaved by suicide - Aoake te Rā
After a Drowning Death
Drowning Support Network for those bereaved by a drowning or aquatic accident of any kind. UK site in origin but open to all. Scroll down for all the various articles, including grief after a drowning.
Depression and Anxiety
- Beating the Blues - an effective New Zealand online depression and anxiety support programme
- ThroughBlue - a support group for women experiencing depression in Wellington
- Depression and mental health helplines
- Adult depression
- Youth depression (the lowdown)
Disability and Illness Support
General
- Everybody - NZ health & disability community and an excellent range of support group listings
- Enable NZ - working to assist disabled people, families/whanau/hapū, employers, health professionals and disability support organisations
- Carers NZ - info and support for carers
- Auckland's Starship Children's Health - including child health info
- Parent to Parent NZ - offering support and networking for parents across NZ whose children face disability or health issues, as well as sibling support
- NZORD - NZ Organisation for Rare Disorders - provides NZ's central starting point for info about rare diseases, with an outstanding network listing of support groups nationwide
- Support for those bereaved by the death of a child or teen from an inherited, usually undiagnosed, cardiac condition
Parenting a Child with a Disability or Serious Health Condition
- Tools for parents of children with disabilities and special needs
- Autism Spectrum Disorders: Primer for Parents and Educators
Cancer
- New Zealand Cancer Society - helpful info and support
- Breast Cancer Support
- Sweet Louise
- The Leukaemia & Blood Foundation (LBF)
- Child Cancer Foundation - supporting children, teens and their families living with cancer in NZ
- Canteen - support to young cancer patients, their families, and friends
- Now What - support site for young cancer patients by Australia’s Canteen
- Real Time This is a place where young adults dealing with cancer can connect through a web-based peer support community.
- Pleural mesothelioma Support (USA)
Mental Health
- Depression helpline – free phone support
- Adult depression
- Youth depression (the lowdown)
- Anxiety NZ
- NZ Mental Health Foundation - offers mental health information and support resources
- SF Auckland supports families impacted by mental illness
- Not My Kid - for parents about a variety of mental health issues in kids and teens
- Stress in Children and Adolescents: Tips for Parents (USA)
Addictions
See also website links for children and youth
Support for other Specific Illness, Condition or Disability
- True Colours - a Hamilton (NZ) based trust for children and young people living with chronic, serious or life threatening illness, and their families.
- Heart Children NZ (now known as @Heart)
- Autism NZ
- Kidney Kids NZ
- Muscular Dystrophy NZ
- Diabetes NZ
- Diabetes Youth NZ
- Stroke Foundation NZ
- Asthma NZ
- Alzheimer's NZ
- CCSdisabilityaction
- IHC NZ
- Heart Foundation NZ
- Arthritis NZ
- Waipuna Hospice - provides specialist palliative care for patients living with a life-limiting illness
Sexual Abuse, Assault, Violence
Sexual Abuse HELP Wellington - Wellington Sexual Abuse HELP works with survivors of sexual abuse and their whānau – of any age, gender or ethnicity.
Louise Nicholas Trust - Louise and her team are trusted people who have experienced sexual violence. To access services, please email [email protected] or 021 326 505.
Rape Prevention Education - Whakatu Mauri (Formerly Auckland Rape Crisis)
Provides information around crisis and sexual abuse issues. Their website can link you to Rape Crisis Centres around NZ that can provide free support, counselling (both phone and face-to-face), practical assistance, advocacy, and resources for women and children who are survivors of rape and/or sexual abuse. They also provide education and training for young people, parent groups and the wider community, especially in the Auckland region on preventing sexual violence and dealing with disclosures of abuse.
Male Survivors - The sexual harm helpline can be accessed free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week 0800 044 334 or text 4334