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Caregivers play an essential role in helping to look after children or young people who, for a range of reasons, are unable to live with their parent(s) or usual caregiver. Caregivers provide emergency short-term or longer-term alternative care and are needed to look after young people of all ages.
All caregivers who work with Child, Youth and Family are people who are approved by us to have a child or young person placed with them. These caregivers may also be members of the same family or whanau as the child.
Approval means a caregiver must have completed an application process, which includes medical and police checks and two references. Out of family caregivers must also receive training – which, although not mandatory for family/whanau caregivers, may also be undertaken by them.
The other group of caregivers (also known as foster parents) are people approved and trained by child and family support services, iwi social services and cultural social services. These organisations are approved to provide care for children and young people.
Some Child, Youth and Family caregivers operate out of Family Homes looking after up to six children and young people aged from 0–16 years.
If you feel being a caregiver is a role for you and wish to find out further information, you can check out the Being a caregiver section of this web site or contact your local Child, Youth and Family office and arrange to meet with the social worker responsible for recruiting caregivers.
There is always a need for caregivers especially from the same whanau, hapu, iwi or ethnic group as the child in need of care. We can provide the best care when we have a range of people available locally to look after a child as this helps us keep the child living near their families. Sometimes there will be local campaigns to recruit more caregivers but you don’t need to wait. Please email. You can make the critical difference for a child’s life.
There is also increased recognition of the role of caregivers through the Registration, Training and Accreditation Programme that has been initiated by the New Zealand Family and Foster Care Federation.
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