Stand Tū Māia is continuing to operate as an essential service during New Zealand's COVID-19 Alert Level 4, providing support to families and children while prioritizing the health and safety of staff. Most services will now be delivered remotely, with critical in-person visits approved on a case-by-case basis. The organization's children's villages and regional offices are temporarily closed, and intake is suspended at the villages until further notice. Stand Tū Māia staff will connect with families to ensure support is available to prevent isolation. Referrals continue to be accepted, prioritizing families needing intensive support to keep children safe.

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Stand Tū Māia Covid 19 Service Update 30 March 2020
Referrers Information
Kia ora kōutou,
The arrival of Covid19 into New Zealand has brought many challenges and worries for all tamariki
and whānau, but it is amazing and humbling to see and feel the courage, generosity, manaaki
and aroha in our workers, whanau and communities.
Stand Tū Māia have been working closely with our NGO and government partners. We are
grateful for the government commitment to support tamariki and whānau through this time
by ensuring essential social services remain available and providing additional funding for
increased needs that may arise.
Oranga Tamariki has confirmed that Stand Tū Māia is an Essential Service. The essential
services list identifies work that can continue at Alert Level 4, as long as it is done in a way that
limits or eliminates the risk of spreading COVID-19.
Being an essential service means that Stand Tū Māia will be continuing our role supporting
whānau and tamariki, working alongside our community and government partners to ensure
their safety and wellness.
During Alert Level 4 the health, safety and wellbeing of our staff is paramount. The National
Leadership Team of Stand Tū Māia have decided that, other than some critical direct services
to tamariki, we will suspend all face to face contact unless there is a critical reason to visit.
All Stand Tū Māia staff are now working remotely from home and critical community visits to
whānau will be approved on a case by case basis by the manager of the service.
The five Children’s Villages in Whangarei, Auckland, Rotorua, Gisborne and Christchurch and all
our regional offices are now temporarily closed. There will be no Kidzacool or Therapeutic Care
and Education intakes at the Children’s Villages until further notice. When normal services can
be resumed, priority will be given to tamariki and whānau who have had their therapeutic
journey disrupted.

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Our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/StandNZ will continue to be updated with new
information as it becomes available.
We remain open to referrals to all services. Priority access for new referrals will be focused on
those whānau needing intensive support to keep children safe and the family unit stable.
If you are referring a new client, or you have a client on waitlist with us, and you have concerns
around their safety or survivability, we encourage you to make contact with us to discuss and
plan together the best way forward.
We are working toward making available an online referral system and hope to have this
operational soon. In the meantime, please continue to email your referrals to
referrals@standforchildren.org.nz. We will advise you as soon as the electronic referral
system is available
Our people and our tamariki and whānau are the heart of this organisation. In the coming
weeks, Stand Tū Māia staff will connect with tamariki and whānau throughout Aotearoa that
are currently enrolled in our services so no one feels isolated and to ensure that everyone has
access to support if they need it. It is clear that providing aroha in the many forms that takes,
and connection between families and communities is imperative to manage these new and
unprecedented times.
Alert Level 4 and these changed ways of working will be challenging for everyone involved, but
it is necessary to prevent the spread.
We will be continually monitoring the situation and will continue to follow Government advice
and direction. As soon as it is safe, we will consider reopening services on a case by case basis.
Our sincere thanks for your ongoing support of Stand Tū Māia services. These are
extraordinary times for us all and it is important we stay connected and work together to best
support and meet the needs of tamariki and whānau.
Please contact the person you normally liaise with in Stand Tū Māia if you have any further
questions, or contact the Regional Manager if you have any concerns. Phone contact details of
Regional Managers can be found at https://www.standforchildren.org.nz/contact-1
Stay home and safe. Be kind and patient with each other. Kia kaha, kia toa, kia tū māia!
Tēnā tatou kātoa
Dr Fiona Inkpen
Chief Executive