Aratupu Preschool and Whānau Hub is an early childhood education centre located in Papanui, Christchurch, next to WesleyCare, Christchurch Methodist Mission’s residential eldercare facility. Aratupu serves a diverse community from the wider Christchurch area. Bridget Swan is the Whānau Support Worker at Aratupu. Her role is to support a holistic approach to the wellbeing of children and their families. Bridget shares a bit about the role she started six months ago.

What do you enjoy most about your work?
The wide variety of the things I get to do each day.

What does a typical day look like for you?
No one day is the same but each one usually starts the same way. At 8.30am I join the other staff at Aratupu in welcoming whānau to the centre.

Every Tuesday morning we have Coffee Group, where parents choose a topic they want to talk about and I find the resources needed to make that happen. Examples of topics include money and children, Work and Income entitlements, child development and behaviour, meal planning, other cultures and cultural activities, planting succulents, harakeke weaving and the traditions behind this.

I spend a lot of my time engaging with the tamariki at Aratupu and I work with whānau who need or want something. This could be anything, including food, support with family violence issues, housing, clothing. Sometimes I am just a listening ear and sounding board for whānau to talk to.

I make referrals to other support services when necessary and support the parent to access the most appropriate service to meet their needs. Sometimes I visit whānau in their homes. It depends what the whānau wants; I am led by them.

Aratupu has a whānau room which has coffee and tea, and parents can have a drink on their own or with each other. Parents will often ask me to have a cup of coffee with them in the whānau room where we can talk in private.

I often arrange for parents to meet, especially when I think they will be able to offer each other good peer support.

What is on your to-do list?

My to-do list is long and includes things like organising the annual market where whānau run their own stalls. This involves a lot of planning.

My main focus is building relationships and trust with the parents at Aratupu and identifying what I can do to support them.

What do you love most about your job?
I love watching parents getting where they want to go and reaching their full potential. My role is to help them to achieve this.

Just last week, I had a father come in very excited. He told me that he had found a permanent home to live in. Previously he was living in emergency housing.

It is often little things that make a substantial difference in people’s lives. We have set up a free shop at the entrance of Aratupu with basic supplies, like milk and bread. People can help themselves, without having to ask for help. This is a really simple thing to do and is mana- enhancing for parents who are trying to make their dollar stretch.

What have you learned since you started?
This role has reinforced my belief that everyone wants to do the best they can. If people are given the resources and skills they need, they are able to achieve their best life.

I want to break the generational thinking that limits parenting skills. If you have not been parented well, it is likely that you do not have the skills to parent well yourself. Often family violence, alcohol and drug abuse are intergenerational. If we can break these cycles, everyone will have a better future.

If you could change two things about the world, what would you change & why?
I would like to see equitable chances and opportunities for everyone, so individuals and communities can thrive. And in an ideal world, everyone would have mana and feel proud about who they are; that inherent self-confidence to hold their head high and walk tall.

If you could give one piece of advice, what would it be?
Don’t be scared to look for ways to strengthen yourself; trust your inner voice to know what is best for you.

What is worth smiling about right now?
The tamariki that I work with always make me smile. It is a real privilege and honour to advocate for them and their whānau. This is how I approach every day.

You can find out more about Aratupu from their website: www.aratupu.nz/