More families will have access to online parenting and family support programmes in response to the continued disruption caused by COVID-19 and the Omicron variant, Health Minister
"The Positive Parenting Programme (
"Just as the vaccine programme has been key, supporting mental wellbeing has also been a vital part of this Government's response to COVID-19."
"We know that this pandemic has been particularly tough on young people and for some, the return to school after an extended break may add to the stress. These programmes will help parents better support their children to be more resilient,"
The programmes were made available to parents during last year's Delta lockdown in
"We know COVID-19 has caused stress for many families with worries about money, work and schooling. While these issues are separate, all of them can affect mental health. This is about supporting parents and children to manage their wellbeing over the long term,"
"We know by investing early in psychosocial supports, some of the personal effects of COVID-19 can be minimised, and long-term mental wellbeing can be better supported,"
The programmes are funded as part of the Government's
ENDS
Notes:
What we have achieved since Budget '19
As of
The Budget 19 Access and Choice Programme has four work streams: Youth, Maori, Pacific,
* Over 300 GP sites delivering
* More than 820 full-time equivalents (FTE) have been contracted to provide services (across all four work streams).
* Over 280,000 sessions delivered by new primary mental health and addiction services across the four work streams to date.
* 800 Additional Maori and Pacific cultural competency workforce training places each year
Other Government mental health and wellbeing announcements:
.
(C) 2022 M2 COMMUNICATIONS, source