Shane Murdoch - GM, Cholmondeley Children's Centre - Speaking at Seismics and the City 2015

Cholmondeley Children’s Centre

• Incorporated Society

• Opened in 1925 as

Cholmondeley Memorial

Children’s Home

• 25,500 + children to date

• Currently operating 16 beds

• Short term planned and

emergency respite care

• Aged between 3-12 years

• Range 2 days to 4 weeks

• Average stay 3-5 days

In home with minimal support

Out of system or back home with minimal support

Prevention/Diversion

Family Support

Family Preservation

Foster Care

Treatment Foster Care

Residential Care

Linear Model of Child and Family Services (Adapted). (Stuck et al, 2000)

Post Earthquake

In 2014…

• 347 children from 320

families

• 1000 admissions in total

• 162 children attending for

the first time

Since 2010…

• 41% increase on total amount of children

• 74% increase in new children

• 30% increase in total admissions

Referrals

Prior to earthquakes:

Direct 70%

Third party 30%

Now 50/50

Anecdotally…

• A new layer of distress on community placing increasing strain on families who were coping fine before the earthquakes

• Usual support systems have been disrupted through either supports moving or are coping with an equal level of distress and are less available

The Children

• Significantly higher levels of

anxiety with or without

externalised behaviour

• Higher levels of transience

including school moves

To the fore…

Housing

Family violence

Parental mental health

Thank you…

www.cholmondeley.org.nz