About

For 40 years, Napier Family Centre has been helping people along life’s journey, improving relationships and whānau wellbeing, and supporting people to get on the right financial track.

We’re a not-for-profit community based social service organisation. Our mission is to provide services that help families along life’s journey. Our values of compassion, integrity, innovation and teamwork guide our actions and decisions, and our services adapt as the needs of our community change.

Our founding statement is Te awhina te aroha – to help is to love.

Where we started

Napier Family Centre was established in 1983 as a result of research commissioned by an inter-church group. The findings of this research were that many families were under severe stress and were not coping with the social pressures of the day.

Families were bringing up children without physical or emotional support, in homes that lacked amenities most people took for granted. The research discovered sole parents who could not take their children to kindergarten or play centre because of their low self-worth. They did not feel worthy or able to converse with people who attended those places and felt they had absolutely nothing in common.

The services of budgeting, home-based family support and a playgroup with transport were quickly developed and talking to some of those families today, they say that without that acceptance and support, they doubt they could have seen their children grow up into people they are today. Napier Family Centre became their lifeline, their family, their model.

Our mahi, today

Today we support around 2500 people annually, at all stages of life. We support individuals, whānau, parents and employers. Our services and programmes are designed by qualified and experienced professionals and we constantly evaluate these services to ensure they meet the needs of the community.

Napier Family Centre is one of Hawke’s Bay‘s network of social services providers that work together to help families through hardship. Without a collaborative approach many people slip through cracks and we are delighted to work closely with: schools, GPs, midwives, government agencies, churches and other not-for-profit organisations such as Nourished for Nil, Christian Lovelink, DOVE HB, Birthright HB, Family Works, Citizens Advice, Te Rangihaeata Oranga (Problem Gambling) and kaupapa Māori services providers such as Roopu A Iwi, Ikaroa Rangatahi Social Services, Te Kupenga Hauora, Te Taiwhenua O Heretaunga.

A steadfast vision and the dedicated work of core staff and volunteers means Napier Family Centre continues to grow steadily, adapting to evaluate it’s services to the community and continuing the focus on people’s well being. We support local people and families with quality care, professionalism, confidentiality, without judgement and with respect.

Find out more about what we do here

View the most recent copy of our Annual Report Here.