Our Story

Home & Family stands as one of New Zealand’s longest-running family violence charities, with roots dating back to 1898. Originally founded as ‘The Society for the Protection of Women and Children,’ the organisation began as a grassroots initiative focused on collecting and distributing maintenance payments to support women and children separated from their husbands and fathers. 

But its impact quickly grew. By 1900, the Society had successfully lobbied to include incest in the Crimes Act and advocated for raising the age of consent from 14 to 16. In the decades that followed, it championed improvements to State Maternity Services and pushed for greater inclusion of women in the workforce. 

Now, more than 125 years later, Home & Family continues that legacy as a registered Charitable Trust, offering professional, wraparound support to families impacted by violence, abuse, or neglect in Canterbury. And just as it did in its earliest days, Home & Family remains forward-thinking— pioneering early-intervention, advocating for whānau at a global level, and championing equity and inclusion.  

Children are at the heart of Home & Family’s mission, and the whole-whānau approach means that families are supported to create intergenerational change – leading to a brighter, more stable future for pēpi, tamariki, and rangatahi. 

A current list of services include:  

• Integrated Safety Response (ISR) 

• Social Work

• Supervised Contact*  

• Safe & Together Training for Professionals** 

• Child Therapy 

• Trauma-Focused Psychology (children only, 12+) 

* Supervised Contact accepts self-referrals. Make an enquiry here.

** Make an enquiry about training here.

Supervised Contact and Child Therapy are currently offered from “Our House” in Waltham. To find out more about how Home & Family came to own this property, click here.  

Finally, it is thanks to the support of Home & Family’s partners and supporters that they can continue to deliver these changes to people of Canterbury. From partnerships that have spanned over 20 years, to individuals who’ve raised funds at a cake sale or by running a marathon, it’s this support that makes Home & Family’s mahi possible. Click here to donate today.