Safeguarding Children New Zealand

18/06/2026

Willow has been recording a podcast this morning with Anke Richter from Decult and it’s one you won’t want to miss.

Cults are something people are often curious about but we rarely talk about what it means for the children growing up in these environments.

In this upcoming episode, Willow and Anke explore the child’s experience - what it’s like to be born into these environments and why children are often the most impacted but the least seen.

It’s a compassionate and eye-opening conversation and one we think every adult in Aotearoa should hear.

Dropping soon.

10/06/2026

We’re super grateful to MORE FM Nelson and Spa World Nelson for choosing Safeguarding Children as the charity partner for this year’s Mid-Winter Swim 💛

Support like this means a lot to our team and helps us continue our work to keep children and young people safe.

The Mid-Winter Swim has become a bit of a Nelson tradition and we’re looking forward to seeing the community come together again on 21 June.

Whether you're brave enough to jump in, planning a quick paddle or just there for the atmosphere and a warm Milo afterwards, we hope you enjoy a great morning.

A big thank you again to More FM Nelson and Spa World Nelson for backing our mahi and supporting children in our community!

📍 Tāhunanui Beach, Nelson
📅 Sunday 21 June 2026
⏰ 10:00am – 11:00am

Learn more here: https://tinyurl.com/kvmd3wwr

27/05/2026

Yesterday we had the pleasure of welcoming Rebekah Cook into our office for morning tea and the chance to thank her properly for the incredible support she has shown Safeguarding Children.

Rebekah has been fundraising for us through her “Getting Uncomfortable for Kiwi Kids” challenge, taking herself well outside her comfort zone to raise both funds and awareness for child safeguarding.

From icy cold swims and karaoke to line dancing, yoga and a whole day of silence, she has approached every challenge with such generosity, courage and good humour.

What really stood out to our team was Rebekah’s genuine care for children and her willingness to speak openly about a topic many people still find difficult to talk about. The conversations she is helping create in the community really matter.

Rebekah, thank you. Your kindness, advocacy and support mean so much to our team and to this work 💛

If you’d like to learn more about Rebekah’s fundraiser or support her, you can do so here:
🔗 https://givealittle.co.nz/fundraiser/getting-uncomfortable-for-kiwi-kids

19/05/2026

This week is Youth Week!

Youth Week is about celebrating everything young people contribute to Aotearoa, simply by being themselves, and recognising the mana, energy and perspectives they bring to our communities every day.

This year’s theme is: “Our voices matter. We deserve to be heard.”

At Safeguarding Children, this message strongly connects to what we know about prevention and safety. Young people are more likely to speak up, ask for help and share concerns when they feel listened to, respected and taken seriously by the adults around them.

For parents, caregivers, schools, sports clubs and organisations working with young people, creating environments where young people feel safe to be heard helps build trust, connection and safer outcomes for rangatahi.

You can learn more about Youth Week here:
🔗 https://www.youthweek.co.nz/

17/05/2026

Many of us grew up hearing about “stranger danger”. But evidence shows that most abuse is committed by someone the family knows.

This is an important reminder from Little Matters NZ, an ACC-backed initiative focused on helping raise a future free from child sexual abuse.

Protecting children and young people starts with informed adults who create homes, schools and communities where open conversations feel safe and normalised.

Prevention is built on awareness, confidence and ongoing kōrero with our young people.

Keeping children safe is something we need to practise every day. Learn more about the important mahi Little Matters is leading here:
https://www.acc.co.nz/preventing-injury/little-matters

14/05/2026

Today is Pink Shirt Day 💗

We support this day because we believe that every child and young person in Aotearoa deserves to feel safe, respected and included.

Bullying and harmful behaviour can have a real impact on a child’s wellbeing and sense of safety, whether it happens at school, online, in sport or in everyday spaces.

Children thrive when they feel supported, connected and able to speak up.

Today is a reminder that the environments adults create, and the way we respond to harmful behaviour, helps shape whether children feel safe, valued and able to belong.

13/05/2026

Huge congratulations to the Netsafe team on the launch of the Digital Guardian Guide!

This is such a useful resource for parents, caregivers and whānau navigating online life with children and young people.

It’s practical, easy to understand and covers everything from gaming and social media to online harm and AI, with really helpful conversation starters and guidance throughout.

At Safeguarding Children, we know many adults are trying to keep up with a fast-changing online world while also helping children stay safe and connected. Resources like this make those conversations feel a lot more manageable.

Definitely worth taking a look:
🔗 https://digitalguardian.guide

The Digital Guardian Guide is now live!

A free online resource from Netsafe, supported by The Spark Foundation, designed to help parents, caregivers and whānau navigate digital life with young people.

Inside the guide you’ll find:
💜 Practical parenting advice
💬 Conversation starters
🌐 Easy-to-understand guidance about online life
🎧 Tools and resources for the whole whānau
🛟 Support for common online challenges

Whether you’re navigating gaming, social media, online harm, algorithms or AI, the Digital Guardian Guide is designed to help you feel more informed, supported and confident along the way.

You don’t need to know everything, just a place to start.

Explore the guide now at https://digitalguardian.guide 💜

12/05/2026

It’s Privacy Week, which feels like a good opportunity to reflect on how we share information when children and young people need support or protection.

For many people working with children and whānau, information sharing can feel complicated. We want to respect privacy while also making sure children are safe and families can access the right support at the right time.

That’s why we wanted to share this upcoming webinar from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner:

'Sharing information to protect the wellbeing and safety of children and young people'
Speaker: Clare Ruru - Information Sharing and Privacy Specialist
🗓 Friday 15 May
⏰ 12pm to 1pm

This webinar will explore New Zealand’s information sharing and privacy legislation, along with practical guidance to help people feel more confident navigating these decisions in their day-to-day work.

We think this will be a useful webinar for anyone working with children and families.

Register here: https://tinyurl.com/35a3jfek

12/05/2026

We’re proud to support Little Matters NZ, a new initiative backed by ACC focused on helping raise a future free from child sexual abuse.

If you’re a parent or caregiver, this campaign offers some really helpful tips and ideas for supporting safe, healthy relationships with children and young people 💛

The campaign is built around a simple but important idea: abuse doesn’t come out of nowhere. It can grow from harmful attitudes, silence, and everyday behaviours that are often brushed off or ignored.

Little Matters encourages small, practical actions that help children feel safer, more respected and more connected - now and as they grow up.

At Safeguarding Children, this strongly aligns with what we believe about prevention. Safer childhoods are built through trusted adults, open conversations, healthy relationships and the everyday environments children grow up in.

We’ll be sharing more from the Little Matters campaign over the coming months and encourage our community to follow along with this important kaupapa.