Safety and wellbeing for you and your children

Safety programmes available

Free safety programmes can help increase your and your children’s safety and wellbeing. Through safety programmes, you can access extra support and deepen your understanding of family violence, your strengths, and options available to you. You can attend a safety programme if you:

• • are a victim of an active charge related to family violence in a criminal court
  • are named as a protected person on an active Protection Order - whether it was granted by the Family or Criminal Court or if it's a temporary or final order
  • have applied for a Protection Order through the Family Court and are waiting for a decision
  • have withdrawn or discontinued your application for a Protection Order

Programmes are also available through the Family Court to any children named on a Protection Order or those usually living with the protected person/applicant.

You can attend most programmes in person. If you can’t attend in person, you may be able to join online or by phone. Depending on where you live, there may be Kaupapa Māori, Pacific, or Ethnic programmes available.

Safety programmes are optional — you only go if you want to. These programmes are not the same as the non-violence programmes that the court might order someone to attend. You may also be able to attend a Safety Programme more than once.

Adult Safety Programmes

Adult Safety Programmes support you to strengthen your safety and wellbeing, help to build your support network and work towards your personal goals. The information and how long the sessions run for will change depending on your situation. 

Adult Safety Programmes have two parts:

1. Safety programme assessment — someone will talk with you about what support you need, what you would like to achieve through the programme and help you create a safety plan.
2. Safety programme sessions — provide a safe space to explore the impacts of family violence and past experiences, access information and resources to support you and your whānau, and work towards a safer and more positive future.

Information about Protection Orders

Child Safety Programmes

Child Safety Programmes are for children who have experienced, seen, or heard, family violence. The sessions are usually held once a week as individual or group sessions.

They help children to understand and work through the effects of family violence and strengthen their wellbeing. The programmes help the child put in place age-appropriate safety and wellbeing strategies, including what to do or who to talk to if they feel unsafe.

Children aged 3 to 17 years of age can attend a Child Safety Programme:

• If they’re protected by an existing Protection Order — whether it was granted by the Family Court or the Criminal Court or if it’s a temporary or final order.
• At any time after the Protection Order has been granted and while it’s in place. Children can attend a safety programme more than once.

Information about Protection Orders

What Child Safety programmes include

Child Safety Programme providers are trained to work with children who experience family violence. Providers use different ways to deliver programmes to work effectively with children of different ages. For younger children this often means using play to communicate, such as art, cooking or sand tables.

Adults are usually involved in the programme to support the programme goals. This could be an adult named as a protected person on the Protection Order, other caregivers, or support people.

Each programme starts with an assessment session (often completed with both the parent/guardian and the child) to try to understand the child’s situation. This includes their worries and fears. In this session, the provider will identify the best programme for the child to continue with.

Find a safety programme

To find a safety programme for you, your children, or both, you can contact:

• the Family Court
  • Freephone 0800 268 787
  • Email DVprogrammes@justice.govt.nz
• your lawyer
• a specialist family violence service
• a safety and non-violence programme provider directly.

Register of Safety and Non-Violence Programme Providers [PDF, 889 KB]