It is essential to work with children in the context of their whanau, home, culture and community environments.
In 2006 Diana Linforth-Howden, Doctors Denise Guy Vivienne Mountier and David Howden set up the Incredible Families Charitable Trust (IFCT). Their goal was to create an organisation that:
- Delivered the parenting programme Incredible Years to parents in the community at no/nominal cost.
- Developed and delivered training in the intervention Watch, Wait and Wonder in Australasia.
- Provided workshops and training of relevance to our vision. In the first year Ruby Salazar presented on the Developmental Individualised Relationship.
- Model of intervention for children with developmental difficulties including autism.
Founding Trustees
The Incredible Families Charitable Trust was pioneering in bringing the Incredible Years programme to New Zealand. Diana was trained in the programme in the UK, then the trust diligently fundraised to provide groups in the Wellington region. These courses began in 2007 and have now delivered 50 courses, more than any other organisation in New Zealand.
The Watch, Wait and Wonder training programme was carefully developed over the first three years of the trust and since 2009 165 practitioners have attended Introductory Courses. Thirty-six of these people have then attended an Advanced Course and four people are now accredited for independent practice. The training scholarships set up in 2012 have been pivotal in funding clinicians through the supervision of cases.
In 2013 Fostering Futures became the third evidence-based programme the trust supported. A programme specifically for caregivers/foster parents that addresses the complex parenting needs of children who have been emotionally and physically abused and neglected.
Huge thanks to David Howden, Vivienne Mountier, Vicki Nelson and Denisa Cassidy for their wisdom, guidance and hard work through the early years of the trust.