Father and Child Trust

What Father and Child Trust does

Father and Child Trust was a New Zealand registered charitable trust that provided father-specific support services from August 1997 until ceasing trading on March 1, 2019. Founded in Christchurch by Harald Breiding-Buss and a group of fathers, it operated offices in Christchurch, Auckland (from 2008), and Wellington (from 2011) and served hundreds of fathers per year nationwide. Its core products were the Discovering Fatherhood and Anger Management correspondence courses, the Father & Child Magazine (49 issues, 1997-2012), the Why Dads? booklet, Blokes Books regional guides, and the Auckland-based Fathers' Mauri Ora Circle weekly peer-support group. The trust also ran Engaging With Dads training seminars for family-services professionals and contributed to advocacy through the Fatherhood Foundation.

The business was a free-to-user social-services organization rather than a technology business: its 'technology stack' consisted of printed and email-based correspondence courses, printed publications, a WordPress-style website, and a Facebook page. There were no APIs, no proprietary software, and no AI/ML components. Distribution was hybrid: direct drop-ins and phone support at the three offices; correspondence by post and email; and channel partnerships with DHBs, MSD-contracted services, Plunket, Community Midwives, CYFs/MVCOT, and Bounty Packs for nationwide reach.

The revenue model was government and philanthropic grant funding. Documented grants between 2010 and 2011 totalled approximately NZD 52,000 from the MSD Community Response Fund, MSD (via Waipuna Youth and Community Trust for teen dad services), and the Ministry of Youth Development, with additional unquantified support from the Lion Foundation, Canterbury Community Trust, and Auckland community boards. There was no venture capital or private equity involvement, and all services were provided free of charge. Funding concentration on a small set of government and philanthropic counterparties ultimately proved unsustainable, and the trust wound up in March 2019 citing a funding shortfall, with the Auckland Mauri Ora Circle absorbed by KidzNeedDadz.

Name

Father and Child Trust

Legal name

Father and Child Trust

Website

https://fatherandchild.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Father and Child Trust was a New Zealand charitable trust (1997-2019) that provided free father-specific support services — correspondence courses, peer-support groups, publications, and professional training — to fathers and families nationwide, funded by government grants and community donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Family and Social Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Co-Parenting, Father Engagement & Caregiver Inclusion Programs (EDACALAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Parent Support Groups & Peer Networks (EDACALAG)

Keywords

• Father support services
• Parenting education programs
• Peer support groups
• Correspondence parenting courses
• Family social services

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding and Grants: The organization operated primarily on government grants and community funding, including support from MSD's Community Response Fund, Canterbury Community Trust, Lion Foundation, Maungakiekie and Tamaki Community Boards, Ministry of Youth Development, and various community boards.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Father and Child Trust was a charitable trust that provided free father-focused support services across New Zealand, including peer support groups (Fathers' Mauri Ora Circle), correspondence parenting and anger management courses, printed publications (Father & Child Magazine, Why Dads? booklet, New Babies Edition, and Blokes' Books), and professional training seminars. It served individual fathers, families, and government/community professionals engaged with father-inclusive practices.

Product overview

Father and Child Trust offers a portfolio of support services, educational resources, and publications for fathers in New Zealand. The core offerings include the Father & Child Magazine (print publication covering fatherhood topics), the Discovering Fatherhood and Anger Management Correspondence Courses (10 and 8-module distance learning programs respectively), the Fathers' Mauri Ora Circle (weekly peer support group in Auckland), and the Why Dads? booklet. Additional resources include the New Babies Edition magazine distributed via Bounty Packs, Dads and Babies Seminars, professional training on engaging fathers, and Blokes' Books regional information guides. The organization also distributes GreatFathers 'In Your Hands' DVDs as part of its resource offerings. The Trust operated from 1997 until March 2019 when it ceased operations due to funding shortfalls.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Discovering Fatherhood Correspondence Parenting Programme NZ's only dad-specific parenting correspondence course with 10 modules covering child development from baby brain development through learning through play, toddler safety, and challenging teenagers. Available printed, by post, or via email.
• Anger Management Correspondence Course Eight-module course covering causes of anger, managing anger, improving communication skills, grief and loss, modern challenges, domestic violence, alcohol and drugs, and removal of anger from parenting. Assembled by Cliff Shepherd.
• Fathers' Mauri Ora Circle Weekly peer support group meeting every Wednesday evening (7-9pm) at Onehunga Community Centre in Auckland, offering a safe place for fathers to discuss fathering-related issues with peer and emotional support.
• Why Dads? Booklet A5 booklet providing information on why and how dads can be useful, covering stages and ages of children from early pregnancy through adolescence, including benefits of early bonding and how dads play differently.
• Father & Child Magazine New Zealand's magazine for dads published from 1997 to 2012, covering various topics on fatherhood including parenting, relationships, family issues, and personal stories. Archives remain available.
• New Babies Edition Magazine Special edition of Father & Child magazine included in the Bounty Pack as a welcome to dads with new babies, featuring research and personal stories about newborn care and father involvement.
• Dads and Babies Seminar Seminar for new or expecting fathers providing insights on how dads and babies affect each other, and how and why they are beneficial to each other.
• Engaging with Dads Training Seminars Training seminars for professionals on strategies and resources to help make engaging dads easier for agencies working with families, covering perinatal mental health and dad support options.
• Blokes' Books Local information booklets for NZ men covering health and social services contacts, community organizations, leisure activities, men's groups, parenting, and separated dad resources, available for Canterbury, Wellington, and Horowhenua/Manawatu regions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Better informed expecting dads who understand their role
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• KidzNeedDadzcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2019Since March 2019, KidzNeedDadz has supported the Fathers' Mauri Ora Circle in Auckland, ensuring continuation of services after Father and Child Trust wound up.
• Waipuna Youth and Community TrustmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011$22,000 per year MSD-funded collaboration for teen dad services in Christchurch. Joint program for couples version of ante-natal classes for teen parents.
• Plunket (Canterbury Plunket Society)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner20-year partnership with Plunket providing PNAP support for mothers and dads affected by postnatal depression. Joint new dads groups and support services. Collaboration on postnatal family health services research and practice.
• Community MidwivescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to include fathers in antenatal classes and maternity services. Distribution of resources through midwife networks.
• CYFs/MVCOT (Child, Youth and Family Services)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWorking partnerships with CYFs offices to share information and work together for families. Referrals for father support and advocacy in child welfare matters.
• MMH Teams (Maternal Mental Health)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to support fathers around perinatal mental health issues. Father involvement when mothers have MH issues around baby time.
• Canterbury Men's CentreminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed as partner organization for men's support services. Collaboration on new dads group in Christchurch.
• Kiwi DaddysStrategic or Co-development PartnerBiggest network of dads providing collaborative sessions with over 20 dads attending. Shared ethos of positive support for all dads.
• GreatFathersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner for 'In Your Hands' DVDs featuring NZ musicians sharing their experiences of fatherhood.
• SKIP (Strategies with Kids / Information for Parents)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFather and Child shares SKIP resources for dads along with Family Planning resources.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Man Alive: NZ men's wellbeing organization, listed as a related site on fatherandchild.org.nz. Operates the same men's peer support and personal development space nationally.
• Great Fathers: NZ fatherhood organization that partnered with Father and Child Trust on resource distribution (In Your Hands DVDs). Operates in the same father-engagement niche with content-driven outreach to dads.
• SKIP (Strategies with Kids / Information for Parents): Government-funded parenting education organization whose resources Father and Child shared with dads. Direct peer in providing structured parenting education to NZ families, overlapping on father and child content.
• Waipuna Youth and Community Trust: Operational partner through an MSD-funded ($22,000/yr) collaboration delivering teen dad support services. Peer in community-based, government-funded teen-father support in Christchurch.
• KidzNeedDadz: Direct successor organization that stepped in to support the Fathers' Mauri Ora Circle from March 2019 after Father and Child Trust wound up. Operates in the same NZ fathers' support niche with peer-led groups and advocacy.
• MENZ (Men's Education Network NZ): NZ organization focused on men's wellbeing, education, and family connection. Comparable peer support and educational offering for fathers and male caregivers.
• Canterbury Men's Centre: Listed partner organization for men's support services in Christchurch, including collaborative new dads groups. Comparable community-based men's services in the same region.

Emerging players

• Essentiallymen: NZ men's development resource listed as a related site by Father and Child Trust. Adjacent offering in men's personal development with some overlap in the fathers' audience.

Broad incumbents

• Royal NZ Plunket Society: New Zealand's largest provider of child and family health services, with a 20-year partnership with Father and Child Trust. Comparable in serving new parents but at much broader scale; includes father-inclusivity training influenced by this partnership.
• Families Commission / Superu (merged into MSD): NZ government agency (now part of MSD) commissioning family and fatherhood research and policy that Father and Child's Fatherhood Foundation arm collaborated with. Comparable at the family-policy/research level rather than direct service delivery.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/fatherandchild
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/father-and-child-trust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Father and Child Trust