Amy Fraser, a dedicated social worker and mother of two, has transformed her journey into a force for good. Her mission is to support children and whānau who have experienced or witnessed family harm.

In her early 20s, during her last year of university, Amy discovered she was pregnant. Despite the unexpected news, she was excited to take on motherhood. On a day that should be filled with happiness and joy, Amy unfortunately experienced a stillbirth. It was during this difficult time that a compassionate social worker provided the support and guidance she needed.

“After my stillbirth, I wasn’t coping and I was spiralling into the wrong pathway. One day, I woke up and thought, ‘I need to make what I’ve been through count for something. I need to make a life worth living for my little boy.’

“I remembered the social worker who helped me when I was in the hospital, and she was nice and kind. I thought, ‘Gosh, I can do that, I can be a social worker. I can use what I’ve been through to help people who are going through hard times,’” says Amy.

Supporting tamariki through Barnardos’ Footsteps to Feeling Safe Programme

Motivated by her own struggles and hardships, Amy found her calling soon after she joined Barnardos in 2019 as a social worker. Amy implemented the Barnardos' Footsteps to Feeling Safe Programme in Levin. Facilitating the programme in two schools, she provides vital support to children aged 3 to 17 who have experienced or witnessed family violence.

Amy's personal experiences have fuelled her passion for helping others, she explains. "When I was younger, my parents would fight a lot. It made me question if this was normal in relationships. Following on from that, I would get into negative relationships because I didn’t have anyone to talk to about what a healthy relationship looked like.” Now, Amy provides support and guidance to tamariki who have been in similar circumstances.

“We’ve had a stream of tamariki completing the eight-week programme. Children are often the people who are overlooked in family harm. To be able to give them the space to talk about what they've experienced, and for them to feel seen, heard and freely express how they felt in an alarming situation is really powerful.”

“It is one of the most beautiful pieces of work I have done”

One particularly moving moment that Amy witnessed was when a young girl participating in the Footsteps to Feeling Safe Programme wanted to share what she had worked on with her parents. It is a successful result in the programme when a child is willing to share their work with their whānau or safe person.

“This little girl brought her father in to see the mahi she had been doing in the programme. It was a compelling piece of work because often you don’t see a young person brave enough to share with someone who is predominantly the aggressor in family-harm situations. For her to open up and show the impact of the constant arguing between mum and dad, front on, it was a touching moment for dad to listen to.”

“I congratulated him when he left because it must’ve been hard for him to sit there and look at those drawings and words expressed by his daughter. He sat calmly and congratulated her on her work and empathised with her. It is one of the most beautiful pieces of work I have ever done,” says Amy.

Through her work in the Footsteps to Feeling Safe Programme, Amy is making a lasting impact on the lives of children, helping them to feel comfortable opening up to adults and creating a safe and nurturing environment. Her journey of transformation serves as an inspiration to all, reminding us that even in the face of adversity, compassion and resilience can bring about positive change.

Empowering young people to overcome family violence