Family violence is never your fault, but it’s important to remember that all children will process trauma and show it in different ways. Our goal is to give children and teens the space and tools they need to process and overcome their experiences with family violence.

 

At Hutt Valley Women’s Refuge, we provide children and young people with a safe, supportive space where they can make sense of their experiences, build confidence and learn skills that help them feel safer.

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Our support is child-led, age-appropriate and focused on each child’s individual needs. We recognise that every child responds to family violence differently, and children are never pressured to talk about experiences they are not ready to discuss.

 

Advocacy & Support

Our Children’s Family Violence Specialists work alongside children and their whānau to help them feel heard, understood and supported.

Support may include:

• Helping children understand what family violence is and recognising that it is never their fault

• Creating safety plans and identifying safe adults and places they can turn to

• Supporting children to understand and express their feelings

• Building confidence, self-esteem and personal power

• Developing healthy ways to manage stress, anger and anxiety

• Helping children understand their rights and personal boundaries

• Providing a safe space to talk, play, draw or explore experiences at their own pace

• Advocating for children’s needs with their whānau and other services where appropriate

• Supporting children through changes in family circumstances

• Providing individual or sibling-based support depending on the child’s needs

 

Children do not have to talk directly about what has happened to them. Our Children’s Family Violence Specialists use age-appropriate activities and examples from everyday life, such as school, friendships, or stories to help children explore difficult topics without feeling pressured or retraumatised.

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Children’s Safety Programme

We also deliver the Ministry of Justice-approved Children’s Safety Programme for tamariki aged 5–17 years who have experienced or witnessed family violence. The programme runs over 10 weeks during school terms.

 

The programme is educational and practical, helping tamariki develop knowledge and skills around safety, relationships, emotions and personal wellbeing. Children work towards their own individual outcomes and progress at their own pace. The programme also includes a family session, with optional individual reviews and whānau meetings following completion.​ 

 

Support that meets children where they are

Whether a child needs individual advocacy, support alongside their siblings, or the structured learning environment of our Children’s Safety Programme, our goal is the same: to help children feel safer, build their confidence and understand that family violence is never their fault.

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Our children and young people’s services are available through self-referral. You do not need a referral from another agency to get started. If you would like to talk to us about support for a child or young person, get in touch with our team or submit an enquiry form above to arrange an assessment.