Resources for whānau

Te Whare Tapa Whā is a tool we can use to help look after ourselves and those in our whānau.

Taha tinana | physical wellbeing

We can slow down the spread of COVID-19 by:

washing our hands
coughing or sneezing into our elbows
staying at home if we're sick
maintaining physical distance
cleaning surfaces which have been touched.

If you feel unwell or have any COVID-19 symptoms, call your doctor or Healthline for free on 0800 358 5453.

How Aotearoa is uniting against COVID-19

Taha hinengaro | mental wellbeing

Our daily lives may look very different now. The Getting Through Together toolkit shares tips and information to help you cope with the stress of COVID-19.

The toolkit includes tools for parents, called Sparklers at Home, which provides support for parents to talk with their primary-school-aged children about their own mental health and wellbeing.

Getting through together (external link)

Sparklers at Home parenting toolkit (external link)

For support with anxiety, distress or mental wellbeing, you can call or text 1737 to talk with a trained counsellor for free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

How to look after your mental wellbeing

Taha wairua | spiritual wellbeing

COVID-19 public health measures may change spiritual practices, but there are ways to stay connected.

Taha wairua at Alert Level 2

At Alert Level 2, you can attend spiritual gatherings, including religious services, outside of your home. There are some restrictions in place to manage the risk of spreading COVID-19, including limits on the number of people gathering at the same time.

Advice on gatherings and events at Alert Level 2 (external link)

Taha wairua at Alert Level 3 and 4

Some churches and spiritual groups are leading their services online via websites and social media. Contact your hāhi or church, ask your aunties, uncles, kaumātua, or members of your church or spiritual group about how you can join these services online.

Help kaumātua and whānau to search for karakia, hīmene and waiata online. Your iwi will likely have their waiata available online too.

Tikanga Māori and gatherings

Taha whānau | family wellbeing

Strengthen your taha whānau by staying in touch, even if you can’t spend time with people the way you usually would.

Taha whānau at Alert Level 2

At Alert Level 2, there is more freedom to move around and reconnect with whānau and friends.

We can resume many of our everyday activities — but we have to do so safely. If you have whānau and friends over to your home, make sure you follow the limits on gathering numbers. Play it safe — keep surfaces clean, wash your hands, and keep the numbers low so you can maintain safe physical distancing.

Taha whānau at Alert Levels 3 and 4

Taha whānau is wider than the people in your immediate whānau. This includes your relationships with people who you would normally spend regular time with — your extended whānau, hapū and iwi, community groups, sports team, kapa haka, classmates and kura.

Staying in touch by phone or video calls, like Zui or Zoom hui, can help to deepen connections and strengthen your taha whānau.

Financial support

Government agencies are working together to provide financial support, related to:

essential costs for whānau
a wage subsidy for kaimahi
redundancy support
support for renters and tenants
mortgage repayments.

How to get financial support