True Colours Children's Health Trust

About Us

True Colours offer a free Waikato-wide service for children with serious illness and their families, and bereaved parents. Support can commence from as early as a 20-week pregnancy scan and continue through to late teenage years.

True Colours is a 100% community funded organisation, receiving no direct government funding.

Counselling
Children and young people with serious illness face challenges different to their peers. The impact of the illness is felt by their siblings and wider family too. That's why counselling and therapy is so important. Our skilled staff help to build personal and family resilience and enable fears, anxieties and tensions to be addressed in a safe and supportive way.

Nurse Oversight
Our nurse support services include:
- Symptom management, guidance and advice
- Collaborative care with other providers and organisations
- Liaison and advocacy support with health care team
- Liaison with Starship Hospital health professionals

Education
It's important that people can access the knowledge and support needed to function on a day-to-day basis. To enable this we deliver these tools and provide:
- Advocacy and facilitation linking families with other agencies and resources
- Education and support to health professionals, schools and community groups regarding the challenges children with serious illnesses and their families may be facing
- Annual professional development workshops and training days to other health professionals regarding the impact of serious illness on families

True Colours - Helping Courage Shine Through