Party policies to help New Zealand families

Labour

One-stop family centres built on existing services; increase Plunket/Well Child health checks from 6.5 to 8 a child; trial voluntary parent education offered to all new parents through Plunket or another Well Child agency; trial parenting education at early childhood centres; extend Family Start to more locations.

National

Give the Youth Court power to order parents to attend parenting courses; focus on early intervention for families most in need; expand Hippy, Parents as First Teachers and Family Start; stop political correctness undermining parents' rights.

NZ First

Compulsory parenting education for parents on benefits; make truancy an indicator of neglect; extend Hippy, Parents as First Teachers and Family Start to all country.

Greens

Give all parents access to affordable parenting programmes; increase Plunket funding.

United Future

Create one-stop-shop family support centres offering parent education, relationship counselling and support; visit expecting parents; provide Parents as First Teachers for all; increase funds for Plunket and playcentres.

Maori Party

Create Whanau Development Commission to advise on whanau development, programmes and standards; national public awareness campaign on parenting.

Act

Extend Plunket services to include mentoring young families; subsidise parenting and relationship support agencies.

Progressives

Extend service centres; publicity to tell families of help; more Plunket funding.

PARENT SUPPORT SERVICES AND PROGRAMMES

Plunket: Health checks for 92 per cent of babies; pre-birth education; playgroups; car seat rentals; toy libraries; free parenting courses for parents of babies under 1, extending to children up to 3; high school courses on the basics of parenting courses.

Parents Centres Education on childbirth and parenting.

Barnardos: Parenting courses.

Playcentres: Courses for parents of playcentre children.

Parents Inc (Ian and Mary Grant): Parenting seminars and courses.

Hippy (Home Interaction Programme for Parents and Youngsters): Supports parents to educate children from 3 into first year of school at 21 sites.

Parents as First Teachers: Home visits and regular group meetings for 8000 families with children aged 0 to 3.

Family Start: More intensive social work with parents in 16 locations. Parenting skills and support, six months before birth to six months after.

Strategies with Kids - Information for Parents (Skip): Funds groups providing information for parents.

Whanau Toko I Te Ora: Home visits, education and group support for Maori parents.

Anau Ako Pasifika: Similar scheme for Pacific parents; closing in December due to Government review.