Parenting

Most parents do the best they can to raise their children in strong, healthy families.

Parents and caregivers have told us they don’t think parenting is valued by society, and they feel unsupported. Being a parent/caregiver isn’t always easy and people don’t automatically have the skills and knowledge to do it well all the time.

To bring about greater recognition of the vital contribution that parents and caregivers make, the Families Commission wants:

  • all of society to acknowledge and value the parenting role
  • support to be readily available to all people raising children
  • parents and caregivers to participate shaping policies and programmes related to parenting.

Research Publications

Blue Skies
Sat 1 Aug, 2009

We’re a Family

A study of how lesbians and gay men are creating and maintaining family in New Zealand

Lesbians and gay men can face significant challenges as they seek to create and maintain families that include children but in most cases they overcome these challenges with considerable success, new research funded by the Families Commission has found.

Report
Fri 1 May, 2009

Childbirth Education

Antenatal education and transitions of maternity care in New Zealand

The aim of this report is to help improve and strengthen the quality of childbirth education in New Zealand.

Download Report ( PDF 1.03 MB)
Report
Fri 1 May, 2009

Healthy Families, Young Minds and Developing Brains

Enabling all children to reach their potential

 This report, prepared by Charles and Kasia Waldegrave for The Families Commission, highlights the critical role of parents and caregivers in the physical development of children's brains.

Download Report ( PDF 745.38 KB)