Influence

Parents

Parents who experience mental illness have reported unique challenges that they can face. These challenges are in addition to the usual challenges associated with parenting such as housing, employment, financial constraints, transport and childcare.

Parents have reported feeling marginalized and invisible to mental health services. Many services are designed and funded to provide services to the individual. This can create problems for parents as they feel their role as a parent may not be recognised and therefore their needs as parents are not taken into account.

Discrimination and stigma toward people who experience mental illness can result in families becoming isolated. Unfortunately there are still people and systems that believe a woman with a mental illness will not be able to cope with motherhood and should give up her children.

Kites have been involved in the following initiatives:

•	Hui for consumers and service providers about meeting the needs of parents.
•	COPMI (Children of Parents with Mental Illness) project, Hutt Valley Health.
•	Information packs for parents and service providers.
•	Mums and Dads: a book of twelve stories from parents who experience mental illness. Published in partnership with the Mental Health Commission.