Harakeke - Parents for Parents: creating stronger social connections between parents of under fives.

Harakeke - Parents for Parents started in Waitākere as SKIP Wait ākere, and has been enabling parents of children under five to support each other to be the best parents they can be for over two years. 

SKIP Waitakere was the result of a social innovation process that started in early 2014, when the SKIP team at the Ministry of Social Development commissioned innovate change to develop community and parent led initiatives that could help grow positive parenting in Waitākere.

The name Harakeke - Parents for Parents makes connection to the Harakeke plant and the way in which the older shoots support and nurture the sprouting shoots in the centre. Harakeke is commonly used for weaving and this links well to the strong social connections parents of under fives weave for each other through Harakeke - Parents for Parents. 

Harakeke - Parents for Parents is an ongoing social innovation initiative to reduce social isolation for parents of under fives. The hypothesis for Harakeke - Parents for Parents is simple - when you’re connected to, and supported by other parents, you parent better. We know social connectedness acts as a protective factor against risks associated with parents who struggle to do what they can to enable their child to thrive. While Harakeke - Parents for Parents is available to all parents, it is intended to target parents new to an area and those living in low income areas or an area with limited transport.

Our Locations

Harakeke - Parents for Parents is currently running in two locations across Auckland. We've been in Waitākere since 2014, and in Kaipātiki since 2017.

Waitākere

West Auckland areas such as - Avondale, Henderson, Laingholm, Massey, Glen Eden, Swanson, Ranui, Te Atatu,  West Harbour and surrounding areas. 

We currently have around 33 Parent Leaders running activities around Waitākere. You can find more about the activities here and/or you can apply to join us as a Parent Leader on the form below. 

Kaipātiki

North Shore, Auckland areas such as - Glenfield, Northcote, Beach Haven, Birkenhead and surrounding areas.

We're currently looking for new Parent Leaders to join us in Kaipātiki!  You can read more about what that involves, here. If you're interested in becoming a Parent Leader, fill in the application form in the link below.