Whole child approach: A guide to applying the whole child approach

This guide contributes to the first of seven key action areas in New Zealand’s Agenda for Children: Making life better for children (Agenda for Children) (see rec # 5700). To support the implementation of the Agenda for Children the Government determined that the whole child approach should be the basis for child policy and service development. This guide provides advice for policy makers, programme developers and those involved in service delivery to apply the whole child approach in their work. The advice in this guide can be used by both government and non-government agencies at all stages of developing and implementing policies and programmes affecting children and young people under the age of 18 years. The guide has three main parts. Part one outlines a practical guide to applying the whole child approach. Parts two and three provide a rationale for the approach and examples of how the whole child approach is being applied.