About CAF
Our vision
People with Autism Spectrum Disorders have a great life, fully included and valued in society.
Our mission
To provide the support needed in order for families and their child with Autism Spectrum Disorder to have a great life.
Our values
- We work in partnership with family/whanau, guided by their values.
- We provide individualised, whanau/family-centred and Holistic support that treats the person with respect, acknowledging and addressing all realms of wellness, mindful of te whare tapa wha.
- Innovation and creative thinking is fostered to meet the needs of those we serve.
- Visionary leadership, at all levels, to build brighter futures for families.
- Quality service in everything we do.
- People with the lived experience of ASD guide our service at every level of our organisation
Our history
Children’s Autism Foundation provides services to families in the Auckland region who have children up to the age of 21 with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Our organisation is a Registered Charity (CC11460) operating as Not-for-Profit service, providing the SHINE Family Support programme, Goldminds Resource Library, support groups, in-home consultations with our skilled Fieldworkers, information and advice.
Our organisation started its life in 2000 as a parent support group called Visuals Group West, meeting monthly at Ignite Waitakere in Henderson. The group, lead by Andrea Ford, formed a committee and raised the funds to open a collective resource library subsequently named Goldminds Resource Library, a member of the NZ Toy Library Federation.
A Board of Trustees formed and the group became a Registered Charity under the name Children’s Autism Foundation in 2003, registering with the Charities Commission in 2007. Services to families began in 2003 with the SHINE Family Support programme developed in 2005 based on research, client feedback and analysis of local needs.
