Family help centre still unable to find a home

A FAMILY support centre says it has hit a brick wall in a 2?-year search to find a new home to accommodate its steadily burgeoning roll.
The Masterton Christian Childcare Centre, part of the Masterton Family Education and Support Centre, has been "thwarted wherever we have looked", says its manager, social worker Donna Simonsen.
Ms Simonsen said that after more than two years of looking "we feel pretty sad about not being able to find a suitable building".
"After having a break from looking we are now ready to begin the process again."
She said the family support centre, set up 25 years ago, was custom-made for families and under the supervision of two social workers, childcare supervisors and early childcare educators.
With its present roll of 38 families, eight more on the waiting list and 30 children in the pre-school, Ms Simonsen said it had become something of a challenge to be housed in one of the buildings in St Lukes Church complex.
"The church community are very good to us and were paying a peppercorn rental.
"Although there's plenty of room for us it's not suitable, because the building is hard to maintain and it doesn't meet some of the Education Ministry's regulations, such as the play ground is sited at the back of the property, no running water, and shared toilet, kitchen and parking facilities."
Ms Simonsen said they first looked at several school buildings that were emptied in last year's primary schools' reshuffle, but none worked out.
Looking at some of those buildings seemed to be the most logical thing to do but it was to no avail.
The family centre is a charitable organisation and managed by a committee comprising parent representatives and members of three Masterton parishes ? St Lukes, St James Union and Lansdowne Presbyterian churches.
It operates on an annual budget of $131,000 from the Education Ministry with other funding from the Child Youth and Family Service, Wellington Methodist Charitable Trust and other Methodist trusts.
Grants are also made by Wairarapa trusts and organisations but there is still a shortfall which staff, parents and churches work to make up.
Ms Simonsen said she has been with the childcare centre since 1986.
"I went along as a client with two babies, got a lot out of the programme and wanted to give something back.
"I went on to do my preschool training and social work training. I have worked as a social worker here for 14 years and have been the manager for six years."
She has always felt the holistic approach of the programme works, giving support and help families under stress or crisis.
She said it has a real family feel to it, and had an important role to play these days with many families scattered and older relatives such as grandparents, aunts and uncles simply not about for young families.
About half the families who came to the centre were single parents and there was a 50/50 spread between Maori and pakeha, with a mixture of needs and support.
Ms Simonsen said some families went through tough times and when that happened the family centre was able to put in place support measures that included intensive care from social workers.
While others needed less support and some may only use the pre-school, all families were seen every fortnight either at the centre or in their own home. Most mornings at the centre's drop-in room there were usually several parents improving their skills in areas including sewing, knitting, budgeting or household care.
Ms Simonsen said the centre's courses in parenting skills had given many parents an enormous boost in self-confidence. Some had gone on to tertiary education and others had been able to find jobs.