HealthCare New Zealand provides specialised at-home child care services for children with health conditions.

There are few options available for parents of children with special needs or medical conditions requiring extra support. HCNZ can become part of your childcare team, providing professional and skilled care to tamariki unable to attend typical child care facilities.

Let us help you give your child what they need to thrive.

Our approach to special needs child care

Every child is unique—and some may require more specialised care than others. Like all of our services, our child care services for children with health conditions are based on a foundation of compassion, respect, and preservation of dignity. Every child deserves to thrive, and we want to facilitate that with holistic and family-focused care.

Our home care for children with special needs and health conditions is always targeted to what the child and their whānau need: physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually. No two families are the same, so our skilled carers provide personalised and tailored support in the comfort of your own home.

From managing serious medical conditions to facilitating fun activities, our carers are skilled, compassionate, and professional. We are dedicated to ensuring that children and youth with health conditions receive the care and support they need to lead fulfilling lives.

Accessing the Child Disability Allowance

The Child Disability Allowance is one of the funding options available to families of children with serious medical conditions or disabilities. We suggest talking to your GP, healthcare professional, NASC, Services Connector, or ACC Coordinator about this.

Eligibility criteria for the allowance include:

• You must be the main carer of the child (or have care of the child currently).
• You must have New Zealand citizenship or permanent residency; both you and the child must normally live in the country and intend to stay here.
• The child must have been assessed as needing constant care and attention for 12 months or more because of a serious disability.
• The child or young person must be under 18.

You can find out more about the Child Disability allowance and get more up-to-date eligibility information on the Work and Income New Zealand website.

Our range of care services for children with health conditions

HealthCare NZ can support children with special needs or health conditions—and their whānau—in a variety of ways. Some will be transitioning from the hospital to home and need extra support while others have conditions requiring in-home care permanently. Whatever your situation, our team is on your side and in your corner.

The unique care plan for your child with health conditions might draw from the following service types:

Medication management: HealthCare NZ’s trained medical professionals can manage and administer important medications, ensuring they are taken safely as per prescriptions.

Personal hygiene: The dignity and comfort of the people we support is paramount. Maintaining bathing, toileting, and grooming routines for children with special needs or health conditions is often part of our child care services; our carers do it with professionalism and compassion.

Nutrition: Whether it’s by mouth or by other means, our carers are well-versed in making sure that your child is getting the healthy sustenance they need.

Respite care: When family and other caregivers need a break, HealthCare NZ can provide specialist respite care, ensuring that the quality of care for your child is consistently high.

Specialised spinal and brain injury care: We have experienced carers qualified to work with patients suffering spinal or brain injuries.

Medically fragile children: Whānau can rest assured that their medically fragile tamariki are in good hands with our skilled medical professionals. Our carers have the necessary training and experience to manage all kinds of serious conditions.

HealthCare NZ child care services: benefits for children

Our at-home care services for children with medical conditions and special needs are beneficial to the children that receive them in many ways:

• Focused attention: our carers are dedicated to the care of the child and skilled in managing their unique needs and health conditions. They also come prepared for fun! While they are in charge, your child is their sole focus.
• Sensitive personal care: For older children, personal care routines can be a source of embarrassment or discomfort. For our caregivers, these are business as usual—and knowing that this is a normal part of their job can set your child at ease.
• At-home environment: For children and young people with medical conditions or special needs, or those recovering, home is often the best place for them to be. Our child care services come to them, ensuring they are in a safe and comfortable environment.
• Responsive care: Medical conditions and recovery journeys involve constant change. Our trained carers are able to adapt and respond sensitively to changing needs, always meeting your child where they are at.

HealthCare NZ child care services: benefits for parents and whānau

We always want you to be confident that your child is in good hands. Our special needs child care and home care for children with medical conditions will appeal to families for several reasons:

• Medical professionals: Having a child with a medical condition, or one recovering from surgery or a hospital stay, often means constant concern. If you’re going to entrust the care of your child to someone, you’ll want to know that they’re trained and qualified to respond to any hurdles.
• Personalised plans: Each child and whānau is different. HealthCare NZ does not provide cookie-cutter care like you might find at a typical child care facility; your care plan will take unique medical needs, preferences, and other considerations into account.
• Family-centred: Our carers are there not just for your child, but for the whole family. We work around your routines, aiming to enhance quality of life and support well-being for the entire household.

Why choose HealthCare NZ for home child care?

We are one of the few providers of specialised in-home child care for children with medical conditions. Our unique services are always delivered with compassion, respect, and a holistic approach to supporting the wellbeing of the child and their whānau.

Compassionate carers: Our child care workers are skilled professionals with all of the training and experience they need to provide specialised medical support. They also understand the importance of respect, empathy, kindness, and fun in their childcare practice.

Child care tailored to unique needs: Each child, whether suffering a long-term health condition, recovering from surgery, or facing other struggles requiring in-home care, is an individual with their own set of needs and preferences. We understand that, and structure our services accordingly.

Family focus: Our holistic approach takes into account the needs of the whole whānau. Supporting the child means supporting their people, too—your collective well-being is our priority.

Comprehensive services: We have the depth and breadth of skills and experience on our team to meet a huge variety of needs. Whatever the medical condition or special requirement, our team can help.

At HealthCare NZ, our child care services for children with special needs and medical conditions are based on trust, respect, and understanding. The comfort and wellbeing of the individuals we support—and peace of mind of their whānau—is our focus. Contact us today to discuss how we can tailor our services to enhance your quality of life.

Special needs child care services FAQs

For which age groups do you offer at-home child care?

HealthCare NZ provides support to children of all ages, from birth injuries to disabilities.

Is there funding or subsidies available?

Many children with health conditions or disabilities are eligible for some level of government-funded support. Contact us for advice or talk to your GP, healthcare professional, NASC, Services Connector, or ACC Coordinator for a referral. We also provide private services for those ineligible for funding.

Can care be tailored to my child’s specific needs?

Absolutely! We understand that each child is unique, and that medical conditions and recovery periods are fast-changing and unpredictable. Our child care service is flexible, responsive, and personalised.