Before Crisis Hits, This Quiet Work Keeps Our Babies Safe

‍Jane is a Registered Social Worker who has worked in Child Welfare for the last 30 years, 15 years at Child Youth and Family, and 15 years at Anglican Family Care - an NGO inspiring hope for Otago whānau.

There’s a story one of our Family Start workers told me - quietly, carefully, the way practitioners do when they want you to understand why our prevention and intervention work matters.

It was about Amanda who lives in a small rural Otago town. When she first reached out for support, she had a four-month-old baby in her arms and three other children. She was exhausted in a way that went far beyond lack of sleep.

She had just left a mentally abusive relationship and was parenting on her own, far from family and supports. Her local services were limited, transport was a barrier, and help was not something you could simply access when you needed it. There was no-one nearby to lean on. Just a crying baby with colic and a growing fear that she might not cope.

She did not need a Report of Concern or an Oranga Tamariki investigation. She needed someone to walk alongside her before things fell apart. That is what Family Start does.

Family Start is not a checklist. It is the power of relationship and belief. We help parents believe, sometimes for the first time, that change is possible and that they can provide safe, loving care for their pēpi and tamariki.

We meet whānau early, often during pregnancy, and can stay alongside them for up to 2000 days. We listen, build trust and support. In that space, parents begin to find their footing long before crisis takes hold.

This is the work we do every day at Anglican Family Care, as part of a national collective of 43 diverse Family Start providers across the country. We are not there to fix families. Our focus is the wellbeing of the child, building relationships strong enough to support lasting change.

Amanda was referred by her Plunket nurse. From the first visit, one of our workers became a steady, trusted presence. Together, they worked through her baby’s colic, introducing simple ways to soothe him and bring calm back into the home.

As her son Sam grew, new challenges emerged. Like many young children, he struggled with big emotions. Our worker introduced simple tools to name feelings and respond to them. Over time, Sam learned to regulate. Amanda’s confidence grew alongside him. She began to see herself not as someone failing, but as a capable parent.

We supported her to enrol Sam in preschool. That small step changed everything. He responded to routine, connected with other children and began to thrive. Amanda had space to breathe. The home became more stable, more predictable.

Parenting on her own was still tough. But she no longer felt like she was failing. She was reminded of her strengths. Every small win was noticed and celebrated. That steady reinforcement made all the difference.

From where I sit as a Practice Manager, this is what early intervention looks like. It is not dramatic. It does not make headlines. But it changes trajectories and can save lives.

Because Sam learned to regulate his emotions early, he engaged in the classroom, built positive relationships and met developmental milestones. He didn’t disrupt learning or require intensive interventions. That mattered not just for Sam, but for his teachers, classmates and community. When one child is supported early, the benefits ripple outward.

This is why the focus on funding only those in crisis is so concerning.

I understand the pressure to respond to crisis. Those situations are urgent and visible. But they are also the most expensive and least effective place to intervene. By the time a child reaches that point, harm has already taken hold. Options are fewer. Outcomes are harder to shift.

Sometimes, as in the case of Malachi Subecz, the consequences are tragic.

Family Start works in the space before that. We are not statutory. We are invited in. We build relationships so parents can grow in confidence, find their voice and trust their instincts.

In Dunedin and across Otago, that work is even more critical. Many whānau live in rural communities where services are limited. Transport is a barrier. Specialist care can be hours away. For some, a Family Start worker is the only consistent support they have.

And consistency is everything. Trust is not built in a single visit. It takes time. It takes showing up again and again, even when life is messy.

For whānau Māori, this approach reflects what works. It honours whakapapa and whanaungatanga. It respects tino rangatiratanga, allowing whānau to determine what works for them, rather than having solutions imposed.

The outcomes are often quiet. A parent who feels more confident. A home that is calmer. A child who feels safe and connected. These are the foundations that prevent harm.

And yet, now this prevention and intensive intervention work is at risk.

Family Start sits within a broader prevention system and is one of five major programmes, alongside a specialist service, included the first phase of the Government’s review of early support and prevention services for children, young people and families. Initial Cabinet decisions are expected by the end of March.

More broadly, the review covers around 1,800 services delivered through 810 contracts, with a total value of approximately $529 million.   While the process is staged, any cuts or destabilising changes to frontline services such as Family Start could have significant impacts for thousands of whānau across Aotearoa.

This comes as multiple oversight bodies have pointed to ongoing gaps in our child protection system.

From the coal face, the message is simple. Prevention is not optional. It is essential.

If we weaken early intervention, we might not see the impact immediately. But it will come. It will show up in classrooms, in health services and in the child protection system.

We will pay later for what we choose not to invest in now.

The answer is clear. Maintain and strengthen investment in early intervention. Protect the relationships at the heart of this work. Back the providers and communities already making a difference.

When I think about Amanda now, I see more than a mother who got through a hard time. I see a whānau with a future. A child ready to learn and connect. A community quietly strengthened.

And that all started before the crisis. That is where our focus must be.

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^{1 Source: 17 October 2025 https://mailchi.mp/f07f78129b7c/ot-provider-panui-17-oct-2025}

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This article, written by our Practice Manager Jane Hutton, was first published in the Sunday Star Times on 29 March 2026

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