Ngākau Aroha for Kaimahi is about creating more leaders in the Tūpuna Parenting movement.
We will share tūpuna parenting mātauranga in-depth, grounded in the tapu and mana of pēpi, and give you strategies and tools to use and share this as part of your daily work.
You will be able to inspire and empower whānau to be gentle, respectful and loving parents and whānau, just like our tūpuna were.
You will add tools to your kete of skills to support whānau, and be able to reframe your clinical and Western kōrero to be more Māori, complementing the training and experience you already have.
Together we can
Reclaim our whakapapa
Our tūpuna were gentle and respectful parents and whānau, before the colonials imposed their parenting on Māori.
Break stereotypes
Once Were Warriors was not how we parented. We were great warriors, but those warriors were raised gently.
Inspire change
Inspiring and empowering whānau that you support, as well as building your own cultural competency to support whānau Māori.
What you'll get from this course
Learning Journey Structure
This professional development journey is delivered entirely online, blending live wānanga with self-paced learning.
To complete the full learning journey, you will participate in two 10‑week courses:
- Theory Course: Deepen your understanding of the mātauranga underpinning Tūpuna Parenting.
- Practical Course: Gain the skills to apply this knowledge effectively to your mahi with whānau
The time commitment is approximately 1–2 hours per week over 20 weeks. Completion of both courses is essential to fully integrate this mātauranga into your mahi.
Our journey can also be customised if you would like a dedicated cohort for your organisation or collective.
Kōrero mai if you’d like to find out more!
Eligibility and Cost
Our cohorts are open to all—Māori mai, Pasifika mai, Pākehā mai, tauiwi mai.
If you work with whānau Māori in your daily mahi, we welcome you to join this journey.
Nau mai, haere mai.
The course fee for the complete learning journey is $2,995 (incl GST) per person.
Testimonials
"I would recommend the Ngākau Aroha Parenting course to anyone who works with Māori whānau and wants to make a positive difference in their lives.
This course will give you the confidence and skills to introduce the tūpuna parenting ways to whānau and empower them to parent differently. You will also learn a lot about yourself and your own parenting journey."
"I found that completing Ngakau Aroha has added to my kete of mātauranga that enables me to utilise the knowledge within my mahi and my personal life.
I would encourage others to participate, because this Kaupapa can be shared, implemented, flexible and develops understanding from a Maori perspective, while enhancing the Mana of Maori whanau and yourself."
"Ngākau Aroha prioritises matauranga Māori and has made space for me to explore how I can translate our pūrākau and tikanga into phrases and ideas that will inspire whānau to try something new.
I highly recommend this journey as the kaupapa is inherently Māori and the space which is facilitated is safe and nurturing."
Upcoming Cohorts
These are our confirmed cohorts with more planned for the year.
January 2026 - Online
20-week journey with seven Zoom wānanga:
Theory:
- Thu 29th Jan, 9-11am
- Thu 26th Feb, 9-11am
- Thu 2nd Apr, 9-11am
Practical:
- Thu 23rd Apr, 9-11am
- Thu 14th May, 9-11am
- Thu 4th Jun, 9-11am
- Thu 25th Jun, 9-11am
March 2026 - Mixed Delivery
15-week journey includes a mandatory 2-day in-person wānanga in Motueka. Attendance is required to graduate.
Wānanga dates are:
- Wed 11th Mar, 9-11am - Zoom
- Wed 6th & Thu 7th May - Te Āwhina Marae, Motueka
- Wed 24th Jun, 9-11am - Zoom
April 2026 - Online
20-week journey with seven Zoom wānanga:
Theory:
- Tue 28th Apr, 9-11am
- Tue 26th May, 9-11am
- Tue 30th Jun, 9-11am
Practical:
- Tue 21st Jul, 9-11am
- Tue 11th Aug, 9-11am
- Tue 1st Sep, 9-11am
- Tue 22nd Sep, 9-11am
Join the journey
Join our waitlist and be the first to know when new cohorts open.
Related information
Our foundations wānanga will start your journey for your whānau or mahi. Find wānanga near you.
Find out what we do and why, including the whakapapa of the kaupapa itself.
If this learning journey isn’t quite right for your mahi or organisation, just let us know. Do you need a 1-day wānanga? A 1hr presentation? We can help.