Barnardos highlights the Christmas period can put vulnerable children at risk

With just 22 days until Christmas, the countdown is on. But while many families look forward to the festive season, Barnardos Aotearoa is warning that for some children, the holidays bring real challenges instead of joy.

With the Christmas period consistently recording one of the highest volumes of family violence incidents nationally, the risk to children is clear.

The Christmas period creates a perfect storm of pressures that can push vulnerable families sometimes to breaking point. Services and schools close, leaving families without their usual support networks. Financial strain intensifies as families struggle to buy gifts and food. The loss of routine removes safe spaces for many children. Family gatherings can reignite tensions, while increased alcohol use, overcrowding, and isolation compound the stress.

“For children caught in the middle, the impact is profound,” explains Matt Reid, Barnardos Aotearoa Chief Executive Officer.

Children are present at nearly two-thirds of all family violence incidents police respond to over the year, and one in seven children in Aotearoa grow up in violent homes.

“Yet even in the hardest moments, children carry incredible strength. With the right support — safe adults, calm routines, and spaces where they are seen and heard — they can begin to heal and thrive,” explains Matt Reid.

Barnardos works proactively with families before the holidays begin — identifying those at increased risk and building safety plans together.

"We act early, working with families before Christmas, before services close, before stress escalates, and before harm happens," says Matt Reid, Barnardos Aotearoa Chief Executive Officer. “Then we continue after the Christmas buzz, because those financial pressures set in and families start thinking about uniforms, school supplies, activities and other costs.”

Through programmes like Footsteps to Feeling Safe, Barnardos has supported 1,741 children who have witnessed or experienced family violence. Over multiple weeks, children work with social workers to make sense of violence in their lives and develop safety plans they can understand and use — learning how to identify safe adults, recognise warning signs, and know what to do in an emergency.

Barnardos provides practical support including activity packs, holiday programme access, and hardship assistance to relieve pressure. Our What's Up helpline remains open every day of the year, including Christmas and New Year, so children aged 5-19 years old always have someone to talk to.

"This is the power of prevention, and you can be a vital part of it," says Matt Reid. "Every donation helps us reach more families, build more safety plans, and ensure no child has to spend Christmas in fear.”

To donate and help keep children safe this Christmas, visit Barnardos.org.nz.

Media contact
Elodie Berthe, Barnardos Aotearoa, Communications Manager Elodie.berthe@barnardos.org.nz
027 220 2995