Whānau Support
Resources for Parents & Whānau. Our peer support workers provide support to youth and whānau across our regions. They focus on building strong relationships with service providers across the region, and be the go-to people for any young person or whānau seeking support or information around gender and/or sexuality.
Resources for Parents & Whānau
Gender Minorities Aotearoa: Help! Is My Child Transgender?
This page answers some common questions that whānau might have, as well as providing a list of helpful resources (NZ).
Vice: 7 Parents on What They Learned from Their Trans Kids
Stories and advice from parents, to parents, about how to support the young trans person in their lives (U.S.).
Te Whare Takatāpui
Te Whare Takatāpui is both conceptual and practical framework to shelter and nurture all people with diverse gender identities, gender expressions, sexualities, and innate variations of sex characteristics, and their whānau.
The Rainbow Owl (International)
A website that documents the growing international body of literature and resources that focus on trans and gender diverse young people, their families, and those who support them.
be-there.nz
Be There is a website and awareness campaign that aims to support the parents and whānau of trans, non-binary, takatāpui, queer, intersex, and rainbow young people to be more inclusive, affirming and safe.
YGender videos
This is a great selection of videos made by and for transgender and gender diverse youth as well as their families (AUS).
Kids and Gender Toolbox
Developed by Sandra Dickson and White Ribbon, this resource gives conceptual tools and practical advice for when your kid comes to you with questions about their gender or sexuality.
Gender Diversity in Children & Young People
This page gives parents pointers on how to support their gender diverse children and collects numerous helpful community resources across Aotearoa and internationally.
healthychildren.org
This is a succinct and informative page about gender diverse and trans children which provides some practical advice and help for whānau.
Let's Talk: A Resource Guide for Parents
A resource developed by OUTLine with information and advice for parents of queer and gender diverse people.
Support Groups for Parents & Whānau
Portal Group: FreedHearts Aotearoa New Zealand - Parents of LGBT Children
This portal group is so you can find the secret group for parents of LGBTQI children in Aotearoa. The group is for those parents who have lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex or questioning children of any age and would like to find information and support in order to affirm and support their children.
People Supporting Transgender and Gender Diverse Children in New Zealand
A page for people and organisations who support transgender and gender diverse children in New Zealand, their parents and caregivers.
Drumbeat
Auckland-based peer support group for caregivers and whānau of gender diverse young people, who are exploring their identity and marching to the beat of their own drum! Meeting are on the last Thursday of the month,
7pm - 9pm (updated Feb 2026).
For meeting details, contact rainbow.liaison@kahuitukaha.co.nz
Holding Our Own
A group for parents and whānau of LGBTIQ+ children. The group brings parents together to create a space supporting open dialogue, that builds healthy, respectful relationships with their children.