April 2026 Caregiver News: North East Region
Nyvonne Krause
Kaitakawaenga (Cultural Advisor) & North East Regional Coordinator
M: 027 501 0395
E: northeast@caringfamilies.org.nz
Kia ora e hoa mā,
As you may remember the grandchildren and I were going to set aside part of the garden behind my office to be ‘My Matariki Garden’. After a reasonable season of tomatoes, watermelon and strawberries it is now time to clean it all up and put in some fertilizer ready for planting. The hope is we will have some pumpkin, kumara and potatoes to cook in July as part of our Matariki Hautapu / our Matariki dinner. The theme for Matariki this year is Matariki Herenga Waka. Translated it means; Matariki is a mooring place for all canoes, meaning this year’s theme is all about inclusion and encouraging all people to celebrate Matariki together.
I’m hoping it means my grandchildren are going to help me clean up my garden! Below are some photos of the before. You can track our progress through the Northeast Facebook page as we attempt our first ever Matariki garden. Wish me luck!
TRAINING
How Trauma impacts the Child’s Brain
Have you ever wondered why children who have experienced trauma may react in ways that seem puzzling or overwhelming? In our new training How Trauma impacts the Child’s Brain, you will learn how children’s brains develop and how trauma can disrupt this process. Understanding these changes can help you respond with empathy and provide the right support children need to heal and grow.
To find out more about this course and register please click below. Registrations close at 5pm on Thursday 2 April, so be quick!
EVENTS – FosterCare Awareness recap
On Tuesday 17 March I was privileged to share time with some incredible grandparents raising their grandchildren in Waihi. We had a lovely day with a bit of learning about ACE’s and the lifelong effects they can have. Thank you so much Jennifer Porter for allowing me to spend time with you all.
A big mihi to Zonta Whakatāne and Rachel from Oranga Tamariki Whakatane. These beautiful wāhine provided an opportunity for our caregivers in the Whakatane community to come together and enjoy a morning tea and share some laughs. It was great to be able to reconnect with some familiar faces and make new connections.
Alimento Cafe in Tauranga was the venue for a caregiver morning tea with our support group liaison Carol and some amazing caregivers. I am always in awe of how caregivers are so quick to awhi and support each other when they have so much going on themselves. Thank you for the wonderful morning, some good kōrero was shared, and I look forward to seeing what you ladies do next.
SUPPORT
The Tauranga North Support Group liaison is Carol Lashlie-Davies. Their next meeting is:
Date: Wednesday 22nd April
Time: 9.30am-12pm
Location: Zone Café, Home Zone Centre, 5/2 Owens Place, Mount Maunganui.
Please RSVP Carol on carol.lashlie@gmail.com or phone, 021638191.
If you are a caregiver and would like to host a coffee group in your area, get in touch with me and I can help you organise this.
Don’t forget you can call me for support or if you need someone to talk to – 027 501 0392 or email northeast@caringfamilies.org.nz My hours of work are 8.30am – 4.30pm Monday to Thursday.
Or you can call our national office 0800 693 323.
Click below to join our private Facebook group for caregiver members in our region, if you haven’t already. It’s a great way to stay in touch with events, training, My Matariki Garden progress and, of course, connect with others on a similar journey to you.