A message for our members affected by cyclone Gabrielle

As cyclone Gabrielle continues to cause devastation and loss in the North Island, we would like to take a moment to let you know that our hearts are with you, and we are thinking of those that have been affected.

If you have been unable to connect with your Regional Coordinator due to the widespread power outages, please rest assured that our National Office is still here to support you. Please call our free phone number – 0800 693 323, any time Monday – Friday from 8:30am – 5:00pm if you need to talk. Our Therapist, Rob, is also just a phone call away. You can reach him on the 0800 number listed above.

No matter the level of damage you have experienced, we sympathise with you and recognise how unsettling these times are. A house acts as a physical anchor for your whānau, a stable and secure place where tamariki can feel safe. Witnessing destruction to this safe place, or having to evacuate from your home can be incredibly upsetting, particularly for tamariki in care who have been displaced from their home before.

Therapeutic Parening During this Time

It’s important to remember during this time that our young people let us know what’s happening for them through their behaviour. So, if you notice odd or different behaviour from your tamariki, go beneath the behaviour to the emotion that is driving it, and validate the emotion.  For example, difficult behaviour from your tamariki might be them trying to tell you, “It’s scary not knowing where we will be tomorrow.” You can validate this by letting them know “I’m here with you and it will be ok”. 

We all know that caregiving is not an easy journey, and this hurdle is another bump in the road where we need to support one another, use the ‘E’ in PACE (empathy), and remind ourselves of the difference we make for our tamariki. We will get through this together.