Feedback on Fathers at country's toughest prison bond with their children in parenting programme

In December 2020, an article was published on various platforms discussing the Taonga mō ngā Tamariki (Treasures for our Children) programme, based around the Early Reading Together® and Reading Together® programmes. For information on this article, please see:

• Fathers at Auckland Prison bond with their children as part of parenting programme

The article prompted a significant response online. For instance, the 1 NEWS Facebook post had 2000+ people who Like / Love / Care about 'Fathers at country's toughest prison bond with their children in parenting programme', and a selection of comments from the Facebook post:

Joanna Kyle  My son got to experience this at Ngawha! It was such a blessing for both of them 💕

Monica Moore  Totally excellent! Teaching these men how to be Dads is a form of teaching love. Such healing experiences for the men and the children. I'm just imagining the beautiful bonding and the feelings of love and positive connection. We need more of this. What a brilliant initiative - and the corrections officer who chipped in with his own money 😍

Alison Aluni  Love this Kaupapa, everyone deserves a second chance, and learning to be with your children because no one ever taught you how or what that means, gives me hope for the future of these guys and their children. All the best with the transformation.

Lucina Brady  Who would have thought... that there would be a Parenting Programme inside any prison...This is awesome.. It is the children that are impacted the most when a parent is in prison..They are the silent and forgotten statistic ❤

Sharon Sanders  Brilliant! Absolutely empowering for all concerned.

Chelsea Hoete  Awesome kaupapa! To prepare the Dads with learning the games etc before their children visit well thought thru 👌 I bet those tamariki would have loved it!! Programs like these are needed throughout the country in our prisons I believe the smiles from the tamariki at the moment and in that environment where the Papa is in a clear and clean mindset can be a life changing moment for the better of that whānau. Awesome mahi guys.

Nickie Dove  Parenting skills are one of the best things you can teach these dads. It will give these dads a chance to steer their kids in a better direction on release.