Free Parent to Parent training

Parent to Parent offers free training courses to families who have a child with a disability, special need or health impairment.  Courses include ‘Support Parent Training’, IEP Seminar and workshops’, Support Parent Advocates’ and ‘SibSupport NZ’.  Continue reading to find out more about these courses and dates in a town near you.

Comment from a previous participant: “Not as daunting as it seems.  We had trainers who were easy to talk to and answered questions in an informative way. Parent to Parent New Zealand provides a service that helps families and it feels good to be able to help other parents in the same boat.” 

Support Parent Training Course

This 18 hour course covers, grief, support, communication skills and services available.  Throughout the course participants are encouraged to improve and build on their skills. 

If your volunteers are offering over the phone support to families then you may be interested in our specialist course. The parents who have first hand knowledge of what it is like living with a child with special needs are the expert who could provide the all important ear and friendly voice for others in the similar situation.  When asking volunteers to support others everyone knows how important it is that this is carried out in a way which is safe for the volunteer and the requester.  Providing training, such as Parent to Parents Support Parent Training Course, you can be much more confident in the quality of service you are offering families.

Parents are welcome to attend Parent to Parent organised courses, which are held throughout New Zealand.  By helping us to promote these courses we all gain up-skilled volunteers.  Where there are a large number of parents with a specific special need experience we find a tailored course works more effectively.

IEP Seminars and workshops

Parent to Parent New Zealand are continuing to support parents through the IEP (Individual Education Plan) process.  We are offering seminars and practical workshops to assist parents who are involved or likely to be involved in the IEP process.
Support Parent Advocates

The 12 hour Advocacy course covers assumptions (and the danger of making them), questioning skills, active listening, planning and research.  This course is open to all Parent to Parent Support Parents and those of you willing to complete the Support Parent course.  Advocacy matches will be based on support needs rather than disability or special needs. 
SibSupportN.Z
Parent to Parent delivers a programme, which supports the specific needs of siblings who have brothers and sisters with special needs. The aim of Parent to Parent’s SibSupportN.Z. programme is to provide children with an experience that will assist them to cope with the challenges and stresses of living with a brother or sister who has a disability.  Siblings develop their own support network, through sharing and making friends with others who understand. 
There should be a course near you, if not get in touch to find out which is the best for you to get involved with.  As the attached says some of these courses are subject to funding, others will have additional dates still to be set and there may be more.

As with all of our courses anyone interested needs to get in touch, either with us at National office or through the regional offices.

National Office toll free phone: 0508 236 236
Email:.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Ruth Taylor
Training Co-ordinator
Parent to Parent New Zealand Inc