Connect 29

Kia ora e te whānau 

As always, it has been a full and eventful term here at the Champion Centre. We are grateful for the opportunity to walk alongside you and your tamariki, and we are pleased to share some highlights, updates, and reflections from the past few months.

Successful RFP Process

Our Ministry of Education Early Intervention and Paraprofessional (EIE) service agreement came to an end on 30 June. We were required to enter a contestable process to continue to be a service provider. Following a detailed Request for Proposal process, including a presentation in May, we were delighted to learn in June that our application to continue as a provider has been successful. While we are still awaiting final details of the new contract beginning 1 July, we will keep you informed of any changes that may impact you.

Whānau survey insights

Ngā mihi nui to the 32 whānau members who completed our recent survey. Your feedback is incredibly valuable and helps guide how we grow and improve our service.

We were heartened to see very high overall satisfaction, with an average recommendation score of 4.66 out of 5 (up from 4.55 last year). Many comments highlighted the strength of relationships, the dedication of staff, and the positive impact on tamariki and whānau.

You also provided thoughtful suggestions for improvement, particularly around:

• strengthening consistency across staff and service delivery

• enhancing communication and clarity

• expanding support for parents and caregivers

These areas have already been discussed with the team and will inform our ongoing planning.

Other highlights

In May, Beccy and Sarah attended the PRECI Conference in Adelaide, returning inspired by new ideas and strengthened professional connections. Beccy talks more about this below.

Continuing our partnership with the Public Health Nurses and supported by Nikki and Marguerite, we were able to support 77 tamariki to receive their vaccinations at The Centre. This is such an important initiative to us as we know it significantly removes some of the logistical barriers and ensures the precious tamariki are protected.

We also acknowledged the contribution of Gill Connell, who stepped down from the Board of Trustees after four years of service. At the same time, we warmly welcomed Emma Forrest and Grant Powell, who bring valuable lived experience as Champion Centre whānau.

Finally, we were delighted to welcome Kylie to our administration team. Many of you will already have experienced her warm welcome when you arrive at The Centre, we are very lucky to have her with us.

Looking ahead

There is much to look forward to in Term 3. We are pleased to be expanding our physiotherapy team with the addition of Sarah and exploring opportunities to offer additional services. Jody will be completing professional learning in coaching parents in AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication), which will further strengthen our support for whānau.

We encourage all Mums, Grand-Mums and other carers to connect with the ‘Mums in the City’ event on 6 August – please contact the family support team for more information.

We are also delighted to announce that planning is underway for a Dad’s event. More information to follow.

Ngā mihi maioha,

Deb and the Champion Centre Team

"It’s an amazingly complicated rollercoaster of a journey. But thanks to the Champion Centre, not only am I learning about the child we support but I’m also learning about myself. Out of adversity comes new growth. Thank you." 

The Champion Circle

When a child arrives at the Champion Centre each morning, they are welcomed by name with a familiar song and encouraged to join a circle with other children, their caregivers, and the staff leading the programme. This simple act creates a sense of belonging. In this space, each child and their whānau are part of something bigger as they connect with others around them.  

Recently, we launched a regular giving programme called the Champion Circle.

Like the circles formed each morning at the Centre, this community of donors walk alongside tamariki and their whānau, providing ongoing support through monthly giving.

Their support helps children discover their voice, their joy and their place in the world.

Most families are with us for six years. Every day of their journey looks different to the next, as does the support they need. Musical play therapy is a core support service at the Champion Centre, but it receives no government funding, and we rely on monthly giving and other fundraising to make this and other services possible.

By becoming a Champion Circle donor you help provide the time, space and support children need to grow, learn and thrive.

Visit www.championcentre.org.nz/championcircle to learn more about the Champion Circle and how you can be part of it.

Global Partnerships

At the end of the term, we had the pleasure of welcoming Janarthani Kannan who was visiting from Sri Lanka. Janarthani works as a teacher in Sri Lanka and has a passion for supporting children with special needs. While planning her family holiday to New Zealand, she reached out to us asking if she could visit while she was here so that she could gain insight around what the Champion Centre provides and then take her learning back to Sri Lanka to enhance her professional practice as a teacher.

It was a valuable experience for all, not just for us sharing about what we do, but for us to also hear about the types of special education support that are provided in a country very different to ours.

At the end of her visit, Janarthani blessed us with a generous donation to The Champion Centre as a way to thank us for our time. We wish Janarthani all the very best for her future as a specialist teacher in Sri Lanka.

Off to Aussie

This term, myself and Senior Musical Play Therapist, Sarah Marra, had the privilege of attending the PRECI (Professionals and Researchers in Early Childhood Intervention) Conference in Adelaide. Whilst in Adelaide, we took the opportunity to visit two very different ECI services – My Therapy House and Creative Therapy Adelaide. This gave opportunities to understand what service delivery looks like on the ground, to understand what the strengths and challenges of different funding systems may be, to hear directly from whānau about the interventions they engage with, and to appreciate the similarities and differences in Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) between The Champion Centre and similar services in Adelaide.

In addition to this, we spent 2½ days at the conference, attending key note presentations, small workshops, research presentations and talking with other attendees and presenters. This gave the opportunity to think out of the familiar box, to increase our network in both Aotearoa and Australia, to hear from international speakers, and to engage in discussion around best practice, assessments and new research and evidence within the ECI field.

Highlights of learnings from the week were further unpacking the Best Practice Framework for ECI, and considering how this might be implemented within our service delivery; Cultural Competency and Cultural Safety; Developing a deeper understanding and appreciation of the benefits, strengths and challenges of tele-practice; and winning an annual subscription to CP Advance’s online professional development modules – worth $600+.

In addition to the conference, connections made have led to further discussions and potential ongoing relationships with organisations and practices both in Australia and Aotearoa.

In summary, our biggest take aways were that our current review of goal / priority setting is timely, and feels like it will better match what is happening internationally as best practice; Our use of PACT, outreach playgroups, hydrotherapy, parent connection and transdisciplinary teams all align with the latest research and best practice framework. As a service, we are doing wonderful mahi, but should never be complacent. We can always strive to learn more! 

Ngā mihi,

Beccy

Puppy cuddles!  

We couldn’t resist a few puppy cuddles! This sweet visit brought lots of smiles, gentle interactions, and a little extra joy to our day.

CAN YOU HELP SUPPORT OUR VITAL WORK?

At the Champion Centre, our mission goes beyond early intervention - it is a lifeline. For children facing complex developmental challenges and disabilities, we offer not only expert therapies but also hope. 

For over 45 years we have provided essential support to infants and young children with disabilities and developmental delays. 

If you’re in a position to donate, your support will help us continue this meaningful mahi. Please press 'Donate' below or get in touch with us funding@championcentre.org.nz

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