The Champion Centre Tamariki Toiora

The Champion Centre's model uses a holistic approach, based on a working partnership with parents/caregivers as first teachers. There are three core components – Physiotherapy/Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, and Early Intervention Teaching. They are augmented and integrated at age appropriate stages with music, computer supported learning, play, and Education Support programmes. Family Support services are available throughout.

This Centre-based approach is constantly reviewed and updated incorporating cutting edge research. It achieves ecological validity through the systematic incorporation of the child’s family and home life, early childhood centre and finally school into the child’s programme. This “wrap-around” service includes visits by a dietician, podiatrist, dentist and visual and hearing resource specialists, Early Childhood Centres and schools.

The programme celebrates the whole child and his/her family/whanau and is recognised on the international stage for the quality of its Early Intervention practice. ​Regular attendance allows the children and their parents/caregivers to form relationships with the Champion Centre teams that are both supportive and empowering. Small group sessions encourage friendships to develop, between children and between families, that continue long after they have left the Centre. The model actively promotes the development of advocacy within parents and professionals. The sharing of knowledge is key, and the consideration is always of “the possibility” for children and their families/whanau.

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The Champion Centre programmes are:

• Relational - based on the understanding that all learning takes place in the context of relationships where we are loved and valued.  The primary relationships between parents/caregivers and children must be healthy and well-informed for children to reach their full potential.
• Family-centred - Families with knowledge and understanding of their child's needs can be vital members of their  child's team. Professionals work to share their knowledge with parents and caregivers to build resilient and resourceful families who can support their child's development and advocate on their behalf.
• Strengths-based - We work from what children can do to what they find more challenging. That way we do not impose preset limits on what children can achieve, and they surprise us with their progress all the time
• Ecological - Through a combination of families visiting the centre and our staff visiting at home, we learn the way families naturally live their lives and support the children to be in their homes and in their communities, including in early childhood centres.
• Reflective - Every child is an individual and can teach us something new. Our programmes are designed to meet the needs of each child, depending on how they experience the world. Our work can always be improved and we actively respond and contribute to new research so that we are at the cutting edge of good practice.

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