That all NZ children and families living with whanau in prison are supported and empowered to live happy, healthy lives.
Pillars was founded over 30 years ago as a charity supporting one of Aotearoa's most vulnerable yet invisible populations- children with parents in prison. After three decades, Pillars children and families were honored to be named as the NZ Community of the Year at the New Zealander of the Year Awards in 2018.
Aotearoa NZ has an incredibly high rate of incarceration per capita. The families of those in prison serve an invisible, social sentence: one of stigma, hardship, grief, and in many cases trauma. Children of prisoners are nearly 10 times more likely than their peers to one day be incarcerated themselves.
Pillars does not view our tamariki (children) and rangatahi (youth) as Aotearoa's future prisoners, but as children of promise and potential- who have the right to a bright and positive future.
Pillars supports the children and whanau of those in prison from a strengths-based and mana-enhancing approach via our two core programmes:
These programmes are currently operating in Auckland and Christchurch.
We also have Pathway Centres based in certain prisons offering direct support.
And we provide Wrap Around Whānau social work support for whānau with mental health requirements in Auckland and Hamilton.
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