Meet Frank*, who lives in one of Barnardos' residential homes. His life and education journeys haven’t been easy. Frank’s home has not always been safe and stable for him and his siblings.

Frank’s whānau has talked about Frank being really clever, winning mathematics and spelling awards when he was younger, but Frank recalls always ‘hating school, and not being understood by his teachers’.

At our whare, Frank has been able to form relationships with his education team where he is able to learn with their guidance. With the stable and supportive staff structure that our residence has provided him, he has been able to make some amazing changes and is reaching his true potential.

He has enjoyed gaining his NCEA level 1 and working on his NCEA level 2, and he recently won the World Maths Day competition, a nationwide competition for Year 10 students. He’s also gained his restricted driver’s licence and a first aid certificate.

At our whare, Frank has been able to grow and develop into a young man who is able to face the challenges he has had, and learn from them to make changes for his future – "a future which is now full of hopes and dreams", says Frank.

*To protect client, tamariki and whānau privacy, names have been changed in our stories and models have been used in photographs.

Supporting Frank through one of Barnardos' residential homes