Relationships

Family and whānau relationships – whether they nurture or harm – have a powerful effect on family and whānau wellbeing.

The quality of adult couple relationships can have a significant impact on their ability to cope with shocks and challenging life events and on children’s development, wellbeing and life outcomes. Building and maintaining positive family relationships is critical to avoiding negative outcomes for future generations. Most children and young people learn about relationships and develop the skills to manage their own by observing their parents and relatives. While they are intensely personal, family and whānau relationships are also influenced by societal, cultural and economic changes.

Reports and resources in this section explore issues related to couple and young people relationships, parental separation, family formation, fathering, caring for children and other family members and the range of support provided for families in different setting such as school and the workplace.

Issues Paper 05:
Supporting parental and carer-couple relationships

Supporting all parenting adults is important but it is particularly important when families are in difficult situations; for example, where there is persistent poverty, conflict or violence, where
BRIEFS AND STATISTICS
Tue 11 Feb, 2014
Download Issues Paper: Supporting parental and carer-couple relationships (177.28 KB)
Families and Whānau Status Report 2013
Towards measuring the wellbeing of families and whānau

The Families and Whānau Status Report is the first in a series that aims to enrich our understanding of family and whānau wellbeing.
RESEARCH REPORTS
Mon 5 Aug, 2013
Download Families and Whānau Status Report 2013 (3.43 MB)
Family Court Proceedings Reform Bill
Submission to the Justice and Electoral Select Committee

The Commission’s submission supports proposals to provide dispute resolution processes outside the court that promote early resolution for families.
SUBMISSIONS
Wed 13 Feb, 2013
Download Submission on the Family Court Proceedings Reform Bill (306.09 KB)
Disabled parents
Diversity, experiences, and support needs

This resource shares knowledge about the needs and experiences of disabled parents, and can be used by government and service providers, as well as by parents.
RESEARCH REPORTS
Tue 27 Nov, 2012
Download Disabled parents – Diversity, experiences and support needs (913.1 KB)
Pacific families and problem debt

This research looks at how Pacific families manage their finances. The information can be used by government and providers as they design future initiatives with Pacific families.
RESEARCH REPORTS
Sat 24 Nov, 2012
Download Pacific families and problem debt (1.3 MB)
Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill
Submission to the Government Administration Select Committee

The Bill removes the most significant remaining legislative discrimination against same-sex couples, and eases potential problems for children adopted by them.
SUBMISSIONS
Fri 26 Oct, 2012
Download Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill (235.5 KB)
Snapshot 16-12: Teen Pregnancy and Parenting

Becoming a parent at a young age brings real challenges but with the right support teen parents can achieve good outcomes. We need to build more deliberate connections to make better use of cu
SNAPSHOTS
Mon 8 Oct, 2012
Download Snapshot 16-12: Teen Pregnancy and Parenting (217.09 KB)
Snapshot 15-12: Parenting

Parenting is one of the most important jobs in society today and the overwhelming majority of parents and caregivers provide a healthy and supportive environment, and are committed to the best poss
SNAPSHOTS
Mon 8 Oct, 2012
Download Snapshot 15-12: Parenting (240.32 KB)
Fact Sheet 01 – New Zealand Families Today
A brief demographic profile

This brief demographic profile presents a broad overview of the make-up of the New Zealand family in 2011 and identifies trends over the past few decades.
BRIEFS AND STATISTICS
Wed 8 Aug, 2012
Download New-Zealand-Families-Today.pdf (431.71 KB)
Submission on the Child Support Amendment Bill
Submission to the Social Services Select Committee

The Child Support Amendment Bill amends the formula for the financial support of children whose parents have separated so that it is based on the combined income of both parents, the age of the children and a more equitable shared care threshold.
SUBMISSIONS
Sat 30 Jun, 2012
Download Submission on the Child Support Amendment Bill (317.62 KB)

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