Awhi Ngā Mātua is a community where parents of intellectually disabled, neurodivergent and medically fragile tamariki can connect and learn.
We help whānau and carers by
- Creating parent-focused information, articles and resources to help you navigate the disability journey
- Providing opportunities to connect with other parents on our social communities
- Building agency and resilience among parents so you can advocate for your whānau.
Please note: As many of our articles are community generated, they are not a substitue for clinical, legal, or professional advice. Where appropriate, you should always consult a qualified professional to discuss your specific situation.
The history
Awhi Ngā Mātua was first created in 2019 during the COVID pandemic, beginning as a Facebook page to connect parents in lockdown. Awhi was funded by grants and codesigned with whānau across Aotearoa, who highlighted the need for friendships and resources that made raising disabled tamariki easier. Through this, we saw the power of parents working together as we pushed back on changes proposed by Government and sent a strong message about the need for more carer support.
Nowadays, our content is developed by parent contributors and supported by the IHC Library, Australasia's largest intellectual disability library.
Contributors
Many of our articles are written by parents and whānau, and we are always looking for more. Here are a few of the people who have written for us:
I'm a queer neurodivergent parent. I grew up in Wellington and did my dash in the public service before moving into union advocacy. I'm currently studying Law at Vic Uni and spend my time juggling lectures and readings with swimming lessons and football games.
I became a bit of an activist when I joined a group of parents to advocate for inclusion. I have both worked and volunteered in the sector, and more recently I've spent a lot of time with parents looking at ways to address the challenges they face, particularly around isolation and loneliness.
Nicolina Newcombe is an autistic woman with many autistic and neurodivergent children in her wider family. She has a PhD in Education and works as an Inclusion Advisor for IHC.
As part of the Awhi team, I research information that supports me as a parent and sometimes challenges what I thought I knew. I hope it will be useful to you too. I live in Kapiti with my partner and two teenage boys, and spend as much time as possible in the surrounding bush and at the beach.
I live in Lincoln, Canterbury with my husband and two children. Our youngest is 7.5 years old and has autism, pica and ADHD. I’m a qualified naturopath, nutritionist and medical herbalist with a strong interest in helping mothers find achievable tools for self-care whilst caring for children.
I'm a parent to two incredible kids and I live in Wellington. My children and the families I met on the children's ward radicalised me! I realised I wanted to devote my life to creating and supporting communities as I truly believe we are stronger together.
IHC Library support
Many of our articles include research support from our friends at the IHC Library, which has a huge range of resources on intellectual disability, autism and other developmental disabilities. It is free to use to anyone living in New Zealand including families, teachers, students, researchers and professionals.
Books and resources can be accessed online, or sent to you free of charge, or if you're in Wellington you can even visit the library on Level 14, 57 Willis Street.
Our values
We expect parents in our community to respect our values so that Awhi remains a safe space for everyone.
- Belonging – We welcome parents and whānau of diverse cultures, backgrounds and experiences. We embrace our differences and understand that everyone’s situation is unique.
- Collaboration – We work with individuals and organisations to achieve our shared vision for our tamariki. We are stronger united.
- Frankness – We encourage openness and honesty. Awhi is a place where parents can be forthright and authentic in sharing their experiences. Their views are their own.
- Manaakitanga – We treat everyone in the community with respect, generosity and an open heart.
- Optimism – We promote positivity and hope. We look for solutions to the challenges we face and are focused on creating a brighter future for all disability experiences.
- Tino Rangatiratanga – We lift parents up, affirm their mana and help them to build agency and autonomy.
