TAMARIKI WELLBEING
Tamariki Wellbeing is a think-and-do tank focused on improving outcomes for tamariki and their whānau in the crucial early years of life. We work alongside whānau, community organisations, iwi, philanthropy, academia and local and central government to better understand what it takes to improve child wellbeing and break cycles of intergenerational disadvantage — starting with the critical first 2,000 days.
Why the first 2,000 days?
Children are our greatest taonga and the key to our future prosperity as a nation. The evidence is unequivocal — what happens in the first 2,000 days of a child’s life shapes their health, education, and economic opportunities for decades to come. This is a critical window in which more than 80% of brain development occurs — and where the right support can change the trajectory of a life.
Actions we take now to better support families have immediate benefits for children’s development and continue to pay dividends over a lifetime. By focusing on the first 2,000 days, we have a chance to move upstream and address the root causes of disadvantage before they become entrenched. It’s a powerful lever for building a fairer, more inclusive, and equitable Aotearoa — where all children have the opportunity to thrive.
Our early work — including the Early Years Challenge — highlighted the deep commitment South Auckland whānau have to do the very best for their children, while also surfacing the heavy burden of stress many families carry. We saw a system not designed to meet whānau where they are, or to invest early enough to make a difference. That insight drives our mission.
Place matters
Right now, where a child is born — and the conditions they grow up in — has a profound impact on their life outcomes. We see this clearly in South Auckland, where too many whānau face complex pressures, but also hold extraordinary resilience, strength, and aspiration.
To address the root causes, we need to work differently and invest in the building blocks for a strong first 2,000 days system. Taking a place-based approach creates tangible opportunities to address structural barriers and provides a platform for whānau to lead change in their own communities.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHANGE
Together with the Auckland Co-design Lab, our current focus is on demonstrating how place-based, whānau-led approaches can improve the early years system and inform better policy, practice, and investment nationally. Alongside key partners from national to local levels, we’re learning what it takes to deliver on some key shifts needed to realise the full potential of investing in the early years:
From fragmented to joined-up investment – taking an ecosystem view and aligning funding and efforts across organisations with a key role to play in improving early years outcomes
From programmes to place – moving beyond a focus on discrete initiatives towards investing in the conditions that make collaboration and change possible — like trusted relationships, local leadership, good data, and practice-based evidence.
From centrally driven to whānau- and community-led change – creating space for whānau to help drive innovation and shape compelling alternatives to the status quo, based on what matters and makes the biggest difference to them.
Tamariki Wellbeing exists to test new ways of working, share what we’re learning, and create the conditions for better investment in the early years. It’s about doing what it takes to help ensure every child in Aotearoa gets the best possible start.
We don’t have all the answers, but we’re committed to learning by doing, walking alongside others, and contributing to a system that works for tamariki, whānau, and future generations. If you’re interested in working together to support tamariki, whānau, and communities to thrive — we’d love to connect.
Contact: Aimee Hadrup - aimee.hadrup@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz