ME Family Services (Mangere East Family Services Centre Inc)

What ME Family Services (Mangere East Family Services Centre Inc) does

ME Family Services (legally Mangere East Family Services Centre Inc) is a New Zealand–incorporated nonprofit community services organization headquartered at 16-18 Ferguson Street, Māngere East, Auckland, with a secondary site at 7 Hain Ave housing its social work function. The organization delivers free, professional services to whānau, tamariki, and rangatahi in the Māngere and Ōtāhuhu catchment, structured around five core service lines: Manaakitangata (social work focused on self-determination and cultural connection), an on-site Early Childhood Education centre, Taiao (environmental regeneration and stream/waste programmes), He Korowai (attendance navigation to re-engage children and young people in education), and a Resource Room distributing donated clothing and household goods. It also runs group education programmes including Seasons for Growth (grief and loss), Ahuru Tangata/SAFE (youth empowerment), and Stormbirds (post-disaster change and loss), and has produced Te Reo Māori resources such as the Taku Pukapuka tamariki journal in collaboration with Piri Pāua and the Ngā Hau o Māngere Ngahere Planting Guide with Kāinga Ora and mana whenua partners.

The business and operating model is a government-funded nonprofit. The organization states that the majority of funding is provided by the New Zealand Government to strengthen communities, families and help the people of Māngere and Ōtāhuhu, and all services are provided free of charge to end users. Go-to-market is community-led and relationship-driven: staff with deep local networks deliver services directly through the two physical sites, local schools, community groups, mana whenua partners, and recurring community events (e.g., Whakaoranga Awa Hikoi, planting days, open days), supported by an owned website (mefsc.org.nz), Facebook, and Instagram. The underlying technology stack is conventional community-services tooling — a WordPress website, social media, and Google Forms — with no proprietary software platform; the "technology" is in substance a community-centered service delivery model, codified into sub-brands (Manaakitangata, Taiao, He Korowai) that reflect Māori cultural framing.

Revenue mechanics are grant/appropriation-driven with no disclosed revenue figure, no disclosed pricing tiers (services are free), and no commercial product lines. Customer segments are local families/whānau (primary), tamariki and rangatahi (primary), and community partners/stakeholders (secondary, including local schools, community groups, businesses, and mana whenua). The organization is governed by a board of directors (evidenced by Annual General Meeting participation), operates with 11–50 staff, and is privately held as a nonprofit with no parent, subsidiaries, M&A activity, or external equity investors disclosed.

Name

ME Family Services (Mangere East Family Services Centre Inc)

Legal name

Mangere East Family Services Centre Inc

Website

https://mefsc.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ME Family Services is a Māngere East, Auckland–based nonprofit delivering free social work, early childhood education, environmental regeneration, attendance navigation, and resource support to whānau, tamariki and rangatahi in Māngere and Ōtāhuhu, primarily funded by the New Zealand Government.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community & Family Social Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child Care Services (6244), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family & Parent Support Services (Parent Coaching, Advocacy) (EDAJALAK), Family Coaching, Parent-Mediated & Home Visiting EI Services (EDACAFAJ)

Keywords

• Community social services
• Family support programmes
• Early childhood education
• Social work services
• Environmental regeneration programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: The majority of funding is provided by the New Zealand Government to strengthen communities, families and help the people of Māngere and Ōtāhuhu live fulfilling lives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ME Family Services is a community-based nonprofit that delivers free social work, early childhood education, attendance navigation, environmental regeneration, and resource distribution services to families (whānau), children (tamariki) and young people (rangatahi) in the Māngere and Ōtāhuhu areas of Auckland, New Zealand. Services are funded primarily by the New Zealand Government and grounded in Māori cultural values, with the majority of offerings delivered directly at its centres and through community-based programmes.

Product overview

ME Family Services offers a coordinated suite of free community services focused on supporting families and the wider Māngere/Ōtāhuhu community. The core services include Manaakitangata (Social Work), Early Childhood Education, Taiao (Environment), He Korowai (Attendance Navigator), and a Resource Room. These are complemented by group programmes such as Seasons for Growth, Ahuru Tangata (SAFE), and Stormbirds. Additionally, the organization produces educational resources including Taku Pukapuka journals and the Ngā Hau o Māngere Ngahere Planting Guide. The organization operates as a community services provider, not a software platform, with services delivered through direct community engagement, education programmes, and environmental initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Manaakitangata: Social Work services focused on encouraging self-determination, strengthening bonds with culture, language, and whanau connection.
• Taiao
• He Korowai
• Early Childhood Education

Products and services

• Manaakitangata (Social Work) Social work service that partners with families, schools and the community to encourage self-determination and strengthen bonds with culture, language and whānau connection. Targeted at whānau in Māngere and Ōtāhuhu needing social work support.
• Early Childhood Education On-site Early Childhood Education Centre providing care for tamariki within a warm, nurturing, whānau-centred environment. Targeted at young children of families in the Māngere East community.
• Taiao (Environment) Environmental team that regenerates local ecosystems and nurtures positive, reciprocal relationships between people and place in Māngere/Ōtāhuhu through stream restoration, planting and waste minimisation. Targeted at the wider Māngere community.
• He Korowai (Attendance Navigator) Attendance support service that helps whānau in Māngere re-engage tamariki and rangatahi back into education by identifying and addressing barriers to attendance in partnership with schools and community services.
• Resource Room Community resource sharing initiative that meets family and community needs through regenerative practice, accepting and distributing donated clothing and household items to local whānau.
• Seasons for Growth Evidence-based group education programme helping children and young people manage grief, loss and change by building resilience, coping skills and social-emotional support. Delivered to tamariki and rangatahi in the Māngere community.
• Ahuru Tangata (SAFE) School-based programme designed to empower and guide young people towards personal and professional success by becoming their most authentic selves. Targeted at rangatahi in local schools.
• Stormbirds Small group education programme supporting children and young people in processing experiences of change, loss and uncertainty following natural disasters. Delivered to tamariki and rangatahi in the community.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Piri PāuaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2023Collaboration on Taku Pukapuka, a tamariki journal created by ME Family Services in collaboration with Piri Pāua for use with junior school children. Available in Te Reo Māori.
• Kāinga OracoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 June 2023Collaboration on the Ngā Hau o Māngere Ngahere Planting Guide, part of the Māngere Ngahere Project which aims to grow and restore the ngahere (forest) in Māngere. The project has been running for two years.
• Te AhiwarucoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 June 2023Local mana whenua partner collaborating on the Ngā Hau o Māngere Ngahere Planting Guide. Provides cultural guidance and values for community planting initiatives.
• Te AakitaicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 June 2023Local mana whenua partner contributing to the Ngā Hau o Māngere Ngahere Planting Guide development and community planting efforts.
• Uru WhakaarocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 June 2023Māori ecology specialists contributing expertise to the Ngā Hau o Māngere Ngahere Planting Guide and Māngere Ngahere Project.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Tu Tama Wahine o Taranaki: A Taranaki-based Māori social services provider delivering whānau ora, family support, and community development programs. Comparable culturally grounded, community-led model, but serves a different geographic region.

Direct peers

• The Fono: A Pacific-led integrated health and social services network across Auckland with whānau ora, social services, education, and community programs. Comparable to ME Family Services in delivering free, government-funded, culturally grounded services to underserved South/Auckland communities.
• Te Whānau o Waipareira Trust: A large Auckland-based whānau ora/social services provider delivering integrated health, education, justice, and social services to Māori and Pacific communities. Directly comparable to ME Family Services in mission (whānau-centred community services), funding model (government contracts), and target population, though operating at much larger scale in West Auckland.
• Lifewise (Methodist Mission Northern): An Auckland community organization offering housing, social work, disability support, and family services to people facing hardship. Comparable integrated family/community-services model with government contracting and a community-led approach.
• Auckland City Mission: Provides social services, food security, housing, and family support across central Auckland. Comparable as a community-based nonprofit providing multi-disciplinary family support services with government and philanthropic funding.

Broad incumbents

• Family Works Northern (Presbyterian Support): Provides social work, counseling, family support, and home-visiting services across northern New Zealand. Comparable family-support service mix (social work, parenting, attendance support) with government contracting.
• Barnardos NZ: One of New Zealand's largest children's services NGOs, providing early childhood education, family support, and child welfare services nationwide. Comparable as a family and child services provider; broader geographic and programmatic scope than ME Family Services.
• Presbyterian Support Northern (Enliven): A large North Island social services organization delivering family support, social work, elder care, and community programs. Comparable integrated family-services mission with government funding across a wider regional footprint.

Others

• Te Pou (workforce development): A national NZ workforce development organization for mental health, addiction, and disability sectors. Adjacent ecosystem player that supports social-service providers like ME Family Services through training, rather than a direct service competitor.
• Community Housing Aotearoa: The national body representing community housing providers in NZ. Relevant ecosystem connection given ME Family Services' partnership with Kāinga Ora and its community-resource focus, but not a direct family-services competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xinstagram.com/me_familyservices
• Facebookfacebook.com/mefsc
• Instagraminstagram.com/me_familyservices
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mangere-east-family-services-centre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 ME Family Services (Mangere East Family Services Centre Inc)