West Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand – Pillars Ka Pou Whakahou is proud to announce the expansion of its support services into West Auckland, aimed at addressing the growing needs of tamariki and whānau impacted by a family member's involvement with Ara Poutama (the Department of Corrections).

The General Manager of Pillars Ka Pou Whakahou Tuhi Leef (Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Whātua), who grew up in West Auckland, shares about his community:

"One of the reasons I joined Pillars Ka Pou Whakahou was the opportunity to expand our support into West Auckland. Our research showed a growing need for our services in West Auckland.

As a proud Westie, who attended school and worked in Henderson, I want to give back to the community. I know Pillars Ka Pou Whakahou has a valuable role to play in providing support and services for whānau of people serving a sentence. We're looking forward to working alongside respected local social service providers and government agencies to achieve better outcomes for our whānau."

Meeting the Growing Needs

The expansion into West Auckland represents a significant step in Pillars Ka Pou Whakahou's mission to help stop intergenerational offending and ensure that children of people in prison do not become the next generation incarcerated. The West Auckland Police have identified a number of children with a parent in prison who urgently need support, and our new support services aim to meet that need.

Our whānau wraparound services in West Auckland offer support with several key components. First, we provide tailored case management and advocacy for families affected by a whānau member's involvement with Ara Poutama (the Department of Corrections). Finally, we develop individual family support plans to help families achieve self-sufficiency, with outcomes focused on the justice system, financial literacy, housing and healthy parenting.

Introducing a New Youth Mentor Role

A new aspect of this expansion is introducing a paid Youth Mentor role. Traditionally, Pillars Ka Pou Whakahou matches tamariki with volunteer mentors once a family is stabilized by social workers. In West Auckland, we've heard clearly from government agencies that there is a need for a dedicated mentor. The Youth Mentor will be part of our team, providing ongoing support to tamariki and rangatahi, who our new Pillars Social Worker refers. This role is crucial in helping young people transition from a crisis-dominant lifestyle to self-sufficiency and positive futures.

About Pillars Ka Pou Whakahou:

Pillars Ka Pou Whakahou is dedicated to supporting tamariki and whānau impacted by incarceration. Our mission is to stop intergenerational offending and build a community where every child of a person in prison has access to the support and services they need to create a positive future.

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