Pillars Ka Pou Whakahou Launches Manukau District Court Pilot to Support Children of Incarcerated Parents

A groundbreaking five-year pilot program aimed at supporting young people affected by parental incarceration has been launched at the Manukau District Court. The Kaiwhatu Kura Whānau initiative, developed by the charity Pillars Ka Pou Whakahou, features three dedicated whānau navigators who will work directly with families at the point of sentencing. As reported by RNZ and Waatea News on 11 September 2026, the program seeks to provide a bridge between the justice system and community support, addressing the immediate disruptions to housing, schooling, income, and emotional stability that often follow a parent’s imprisonment. Speaking to RNZ, Corrina Thompson, the pilot's youth and research lead, explained that over 20,000 children in New Zealand currently have parents in prison. She described their experience as an 'invisible sentence' and noted that without intervention, these rangatahi are ten times more likely to enter the justice system themselves. The pilot was co-designed based on direct feedback from young people who requested better navigation through the complexities of the court process. The navigators will focus on assisting families through sentencing and co-designing long-term support plans for affected tamariki. Pillars Ka Pou Whakahou CEO Tuhi Leef told Waatea News that the kaupapa is centered on recognizing children as individuals with their own needs, rather than merely as extensions of the defendant. Located in South Auckland, the pilot holds particular significance for whānau Māori, who are disproportionately impacted by the long-term consequences of imprisonment. By establishing a presence directly within the court environment, the service aims to identify affected families early, ensuring they are not left to navigate transitions in isolation or become invisible as adults move through the system. The government-supported pilot will undergo annual evaluations to assess its impact on intergenerational harm. Thompson and Leef expressed hope that the Manukau initiative will serve as a model for wider justice reform, eventually expanding to every district court in Aotearoa. By reducing the trauma experienced at the onset of a parent's sentence, the charity aims to shift the judicial focus away from simple punishment toward a focus on preventing the collateral consequences of imprisonment from being passed down to the next generation, effectively interrupting cycles of intergenerational harm before they escalate.