As part of Budget 2020, Police and Oranga Tamariki secured specific funding for Children’s Services.
The Police portion of this funding is enabling children, tamariki and rangatahi to receive services to enhance their wellbeing. These funds are held and administered by the Mental Health Education and Resource Centre (MHERC) and can be accessed via an application process.
What does this mean?
The Children's Flexi Fund can fund immediate needs / service or support gaps for children, tamariki and rangatahi (up to and including age 18) identified as requiring support (with input from family and/or whānau); and who are experiencing family violence.
The purpose of the flexi fund is to directly or indirectly enhance tamariki / rangatahi wellbeing (following family harm) through the purchase of one-off or timebound goods or services.
Eligible children / tamariki / rangatahi
Those who can receive services funded through this initiative are:
- children, tamariki and rangatahi up to and including those who are aged 18 years old;
- who appear in family harm episodes (any episode role);
- notified to Family Violence Interagency Response (FVIARs), Whāngaia Ngā Pā Harakeke (WNPH) sites, or Integrated Safety Response (ISR) sites and have been risk assessed and/or triaged (WNPH and ISR sites) or discussed (FVIARS sites); or
- who are identified as having a history that includes family violence.
Funding is also available for non-resident children, tamariki and rangatahi who appear in family harm episodes that occur within New Zealand.
Who can apply?
The following are a list of eligible applicants who can apply for flexi funding:
- Kaiāwhina/Kaipupuri engaged with a family or whānau
- Police Family Intervention Teams or equivalent
- Plan Leads (agency lead who has been tasked to lead a Family Safety Plan as part of a multi-agency family violence response)
- FVIARs agency lead
- Police staff engaging with family or whānau including those involved as School Community Officers (SCOs) or involved with Alternative Action Plans
- Oranga Tamariki or other Government agency child advocate or equivalent, working with a family or whānau where family violence is identified
- Non-Governmental Organisations or Iwi working with family or whānau where family violence is identified
- Anyone else who may be acting in an advocacy role for a child e.g., family lawyer or lawyer for child
The criteria for eligible applicants is designed to be wide. If you are unsure if you, or the agency you work for meet the criteria to apply, please contact the Police National Harm Reduction team at FV.PNHQ@police.govt.nz.
What information is required?
- The application must:
- relate to the individual wellbeing of each child for whom funding is sought;
- be supported by the family and/or whānau - their voice must be included in the discussion of the child / tamariki / rangatahi’s needs and this should be recorded in any Family Safety Plan;
- come from eligible applicants (listed above);
- be specific and time framed and NOT required on an on-going and unlimited basis;
- not relate to existing funding or funded services or supports that are available elsewhere or from another agency; and
- include a quote or other evidence of the amount requested.
- Please note, that if the application relates to the provision of services to children (rather than goods), the applicant must confirm that the service provider has a Child Protection Policy in place and completes children’s’ worker safety checks as required by the Children’s Act 2014.
How to apply
- Access and download the MHERC form (PDF 723KB). Please make sure you download the form as if you do not, this may cause your inputs to be lost.
- Fill in the form – please ensure that you have all the details that are requested. All parts of the form are required and must be filled in to maximise the ability to approve applications.
- You may wish to reach out to the District Prevention Manager for the Police District you are in – this may be to discuss the possibility of the application and any questions you may have.
- Please see the guidance (PDF 369KB) if you are applying for funding for goods from Rebel Sport or Noel Leeming.
- District Prevention Managers (DPMs) within Police Districts approve or decline applications to the Children’s Flexi Fund. You may wish to reach out to the DPM for the Police District you are in – this may be to discuss the possibility of any application and any questions you may have.
- Once you have completed the application form, send it to your DPM seeking approval. If you don’t know who your DPM is, please contact the Police National Harm Reduction team at FV.PNHQ@police.govt.nz.
- If approved, the approval will be sent to MHERC by the DPM and MHERC will advise you when payment has been made for the goods or services.
- If the DPM cannot approve the application, they will let you know. You may need to provide further information.
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of support or service can be provided?
Who can apply for funding?
What are the benefits of flexi-funding?
What are the expected benefits of the flexi-funding approach and how will it be tracked?
What additional funding did Oranga Tamariki receive?