Storytime Foundation Annual Report 2017

Annual Report For year end 30 June 2017

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Contents Chairmans Report

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Chief Executive Report

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History

8

Our work this year

10

Statement of Service Performance

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Special Purpose Financial Report

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Appendix: Auditor’s Report

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Appendix: Financials

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Design by Hurst Media Limited

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Chairman’s Report On behalf of the Storytime

Our key partners in the Books for Babies

Five pilot programmes trialling an extension

Foundation Board of Trustees

programme are the Royal New Zealand

of Books for Babies have shown us this

it is my pleasure to present this

Plunket Society, Auckland District Health

year that engaging with families from the

Annual Report in this 20th year

Board and Auckland Libraries. These

third trimester of pregnancy until the child

of operation.

agencies have given us very strong support

is three years of age provides additional

over the course of the year and the Board

opportunity to help parents to continue to

expresses its thanks to the management

read, talk and play with their children from

of all three organisations. Over the course

the earliest age. We have been supported

of the year we have partnered with several

in this endeavor with funding from Tindall

other organisations across New Zealand

Foundation, JR McKenzie Trust and

including tamariki ora providers, libraries

Cognition Education Trust. We look forward

and DHBs.

to progressing this initiative in the coming

Over the last 20 years, we have planned for, and enjoyed a very steady growth and expansion that now sees us supporting children and their families across New Zealand. I would like to thank the Rotary Club of Auckland and the dedicated Rotarians who initiated the

year including rolling out the extended

original iteration of our Books for Babies

Of course none of this would be possible

programme. My thanks also go to all

without the tremendous support afforded

the staff, trustees and volunteers whose

to us by our funders and donors. We would

The Board thanks the Chief Executive

tireless efforts have made Storytime what

especially like to thank the following for

Tony Culliney and his team for their efforts

it is today. And last but not least, to the

their generosity:

through the year and all of those that

funders and donors whose support has

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

volunteered their time from Well Child

enabled us to reach and benefit so many children and parents. Our journey doesn’t end, or plateau, here; Storytime will continue to innovate and develop ways to support mums, dads and their kids use stories and story-telling as a vehicle to foster healthy, loving, connected families.

The proof, as they say, is in the pudding. The past year of operations has seen over 5000 new families enrol in our Books for Babies programme. At the end of the financial year we were delivering books to newborns throughout Auckland and in Northland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Tairawhiti, Hawkes Bay, Taranaki, Porirua, Canterbury and the West Coast. We now look forward to including other New Zealand communities as funding and resources permit including Manawatu/Whanganui, Wairarapa, Otago and Southland.

• • • •

Tindall Foundation Auckland Airport Community Trust Rotary Club of Auckland Foundation North NZ Lotteries Board Wel Energy Trust Todd Foundation Mount Wellington Foundation Trust Waikato JR McKenzie Trust Bay Trust Eastern and Central Community Trust Rotorua Energy Charitable Trust The Southern Trust The Trusts Community Foundation Ltd Cognition Education Trust Four Winds Foundation Community Organisations Grants Scheme RATA Foundation TSB Trust Infinity Foundation Oxford Sports Trust

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programme in some areas.

frontline staff to the Advisory Board and Research Group.

We finish the year with great plans for the future and the knowledge that Books for Babies has reached 45,000 families since 2003 – that represents more than 200,000 books and over 90,000 individual family members!

My sincere thanks to all our supporters and partners for making 2016/17 such a successful year.

Best regards and wishes, Ian Leader Chairman

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Chief Executive’s Report Over the past year we have

Another highlight was the continued

midwives and have again joined with

delivered the Books for Babies

development of the First 1000 Days

new organisations and networks to allow

programme to over 5000

initiative, piloting Books for Babies:

delivery to the highest need families as we

families. This brings the number

First 1000 Days in Far North, Manukau,

have expanded into new areas.

of families we have worked with

Rotorua, Porirua and Christchurch. This

since 2003 to over 45,000.

initiative engages with families from the

Our funders and donors have been very supportive again this year, donating over $480,000 towards our programme.

Foundation North, Tindall Foundation, Cognition Education Trust, JR Mckenzie Trust, Todd Foundation, Lottery

third trimester of pregnancy until the child reaches three years of age. We look forward to seeing this extension of Books for Babies being gradually implemented in the coming year in at least three of the pilot sites.

We are grateful to the members of our expert Advisory Board for their advice and support. Membership includes Dr Greg Morgan, Peter Mullins, Dr Cameron Grant, Ramona Dillon and Dr Phil Coogan.

We also acknowledge the support provided by Principal Youth Court Judge Andrew Becroft, Johann Moreau at Lakes

Grants Board and the Auckland Airport

Much of the organisation’s success

DHB, Plunket Head Office staff and all of

Community Trust have been particularly

this year, as in past years, is due to the

our volunteers.

generous. These and all of our supporters

tireless work of the staff, contractors

have enabled us to experience a very

and volunteers and I thank them and

successful year.

acknowledge their dedication to the

Among the highlights of the year was the commencement of Books for Babies in Taranaki thanks to TSB Trust. We now deliver in Northland, Auckland, BOP,

programme. I am particularly grateful to Liz Patterson, Linda Biggs and Janet

I look forward to working with the Storytime Foundation Board, our partners, volunteers, funders and staff in the coming year.

Findlay who, behind the scenes really make our programmes happen.

Waikato, Hawkes Bay, Tairawhiti, Taranaki,

We have enjoyed working with our

Porirua and Canterbury and the West

partners: Libraries, Plunket, tamariki

Coast, and we will continue the expansion

ora providers, Health service providers,

in the coming year.

Family Start, District Health Boards and

Kind regards, Tony Culliney Chief Executive

“Among the highlights of the year was the commencement of Books for Babies in Taranaki.”

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History The Rotary Club of Auckland trialled a new

The purpose of this research was to determine if parents were

programme in 1997 and 1998 with the objective of:

reading with their children more often and/or if the children had more access to books following enrolment in the programme and

• Giving children, who may not have the opportunity, access to

whether they visited a library (and if so how often).

books; and • Stimulating parent-child relationships by promoting the value of

Data from the questionnaires was collated by Auckland Healthcare.

reading to children

In addition to the questionnaire, face to face interviews were carried out with ten of the families.

The trial project involved Auckland Healthcare (now ADHB), the Rotary Club of Auckland and Plunket. The books were all

The results from this exercise motivated the key parties to continue

purchased by the Rotary Club of Auckland and delivered by Plunket

and to expand the service to include five books over five well child

nurses in the geographical area of the Rotary Club of Auckland.

visits. The main findings included:

Initially three books were delivered to families identified by Plunket

• Books for Babes was very well received by the families and

as those that would benefit most.

supported by health professionals • There was an increase in the number of books in homes in

Soon after the commencement of the programme it became

which the books were delivered

apparent that children in other geographical areas had an even greater need and the programme, now known as Books for Babes,

• Figures for library usage were low

was extended to include Glen Innes.

• Families were receptive to the concept of reading with babies

By the end of 1998 there were 393 families enrolled and 583 books

Over time the programme expanded to include the whole of the

delivered – 393 babies received the first book, 164 received the

“Auckland City Area”.

second book and 26 the third book (note that there were a high

Further enhancement of the project in 2002 was the addition of

number of Gone No Address families “GNA”).

Auckland City Libraries representation. This has extended the

Parents/caregivers were invited to complete a questionnaire

project to include library visits and facilitating membership for

which was developed in cooperation with Auckland Healthcare.

families of their local library and helping them access books and the various programmes provided by the library.

Trust Deed signed, Administrator contracted, first newsletter produced

Creation of Books for Babes initiative

500 families delivered Books for Babes

First evaluation of Books for Babes

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

First books delivered – funded by Rotary International

2003

Logo designed and

540 books delivered

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2004

$31,000 raised

2005

2006

2007

Number of books per family increased to five and 3,000 books delivered

This year we celebrate 20 years of service to New Zealand communities:

In 2003 the Books for Babes Trust was established by the Rotary

• Giving children, who may not have the opportunity, access to books; and

commenced a roll out of an extended programme: Books for

• Stimulating parent-child relationships by promoting the value of reading to children

During that (2016/17) year the idea of expanding the programme

Club of Auckland, Plunket and ADHB. Since that time the organisation has changed its name to Storytime Foundation, expanded across New Zealand and Babies: The First 1000 Days.

In 2016/17 Storytime Foundation delivered its Books for Babies programme to 5500 families.

to include a wider age group emerged. It was decided by the Board that we would pilot Books for Babies: First 1000 Days in 5 centres – Far North, South Auckland, Rotorua, Porirua and Christchurch.

The first pilot, Far North, commenced in June 2016 followed shortly after by the South Auckland and Rotorua pilots. All three are performing well and the additional two commenced in February 2017.

By the end of August 2016 there were 55 families enrolled in the Far North, 23 in Manukau and 6 in Rotorua and by the end of June 2017 there were a total of 391 families enrolled in this extended First 1000 Days programme. We look forward to seeing this programme develop and roll out to these and other communities.

2008

2009

Tindall Foundation funds a CEO position

Books for Babies expanded to Bay of Plenty, Waikato and Northland

Expansion to East Coast

Expansion to Hawkes Bay and First 1000 Days pilots commence

2010

2012

2014

2016

2011

CEO appointed and 50,000th book delivered

2013

Second evaluation undertaken and expansion to Canterbury

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2015

17,448 books delivered – expansion to Porirua

2017

2018

Expansion to Taranaki and Nelson and Prisons programme commences

Our Work

175,000

Key Facts

Each and every day, babies are born into New Zealand families where parents are ill-equipped, 150,000

supported or resourced to adequately provide their

The Storytime Foundation has been

children with the attention they need and deserve.

supporting New Zealand families since 1997.

Originally established in Auckland, we now

Sadly, many of these babies go on to do badly at play, at school

support children and families in:

and at work. Accordingly, The Storytime Foundation is focused on providing opportunities for these families to bond with their babies and to engage with their communities, to develop the confidence

• Bay of Plenty

Working collaboratively with well child/tamariki ora providers,

• Tairawhiti

libraries, DHBs, Family Start providers, midwives and others we

• Taranaki

create a home environment in which children thrive, achieve and

• Hawkes Bay

belong. Using books and storytelling as a medium, Books for

• Wellington

Babies fosters stronger families and a better society; for today

• Christchurch

and tomorrow.

100,000

A strong bond between a caregiver and child during the first 1000

In this time…

days significantly improves outcomes in life for the child and family

35,000 families have benefited

unit (eg.,Bowlby, 1958; Growing Up in NZ 2014).

Every baby is born ready to learn, however brain development and a baby’s capacity for learning and loving is heavily dependent on early life experiences. We know from national and international

from our flagship activity ‘Books for Babies’

158,137 books have been

delivered to ‘Books for Babies’ children and

evidence that close parental interaction in the early stages of a baby’s development stimulates the frontal lobe and increases early

75,000

• Auckland • Waikato

and parenting skills so important in a child’s early years.

125,000

• Whangarei and the Far North

their families

learning opportunities. Clearly, early intervention is best.

Over

In the Books for Babies programme families benefit from learning how to read to their baby and the benefits of engaging with baby through talking, reading, singing and playing with their baby. They learn more about what is happening to their baby’s development,

Over

$1.9million has been

raised to benefit some of New Zealand’s most

and especially frontal lobe activity, critical in the early stages

needy children and families

of a child’s development. Some families do not recognise the

50,000

300 well child professionals

have been trained to deliver Books for Babies

importance of these activities although we know that babies respond to their mother’s voice even before the birth.

This year Storytime Foundation continued piloting an extension of Books for Babies to cover the first 1000 days of a child’s life in five centres. Our goal is that every parent knows the importance of reading and storytelling with their children, and that New Zealand 25,000

children grow up healthy and nurtured in homes rich in language and love.

The Storytime Foundation equips parents to take time to read with, talk with and tell stories to their child.

0 1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

10

2003

2004

2005

2006

20

007

158,137

Income & Expenditure 01 July 2016 to 30 June 2017

Total number of Storytime Books delivered to 30 June 2017

Income Targeted Income for First 1,000 Days Grants, donations & interest Expenditure Overheads Pilot Programmes Storage/Delivery/Admin - Books Books

July 01 2016—June 30 2017

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

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2014

2015

2016

2017

Statement of Service Performance The purpose of this Statement of Service Performance is to report on the activities of Storytime Foundation Trust Board over the F2017 year.

Vision

Legal Name Storytime Foundation Trust Board

New Zealand children thriving in supportive home environments.

Type of Entity Charitable Trust, Registered Charity

Mission

Registration No. CC22735

The Storytime Foundation Trust is committed, in partnership with Plunket, Tamariki Ora providers, libraries and others to building the ongoing wellbeing of children and their families by increasing bonding through reading.

Certificate of Incorporation No. 1487114 Entity Structure • Under our Trust Deed the number of Trustees shall be no less than three nor more than six. We currently have five trustees including a Chairman and Treasurer • Our operations are managed by a CEO with part time staff and consultants • Volunteers support us with our activities throughout the year • We operate collaboratively with a number of agencies

Outputs

Storytime Foundation delivers books and information to high need families with newborn children to improve early bonding and attachment through our Books for Babies programme.

Research indicates that a strong bond between a caregiver and child during the first 1000 days significantly improves outcomes in life for the child and the wider family unit. It also has positive effects on literacy. We therefore:

Main Sources of Cash and Resources • Storytime Foundation receives income from a variety of philanthropic Trusts, Foundations and donors to purchase books and to cover operational expenses

• deliver books and information into New Zealand’s most deprived homes to enhance early attachment, build cohesive families and improve social outcomes • teach parents to take time to read to their child—especially as a baby— this remains a key determinant of early attachment.

Main Methods Used to Raise Funds • Funds are raised through application to philanthropic Trusts and Foundations

We are the only agency delivering Books for Babies directly into the home through well child providers.

Reliance on Volunteers and Donated Goods/Services • We work collaboratively with Plunket, tamariki ora agencies, DHBs and others. These agencies assist with the delivery of our service into the homes of participating families

In FY2017 we achieved the following: 1. Enrolled 5,179 new families in the Books for Babies programme 2. Enrolled 391 new families in the First 1000 Days pilots 3. Delivered over 19,263 books to vulnerable families

Additional Information: Feedback

Outcomes

We receive feedback from participating parents regarding the benefits to them of participation, and we have contracted an independent research company, Point Research, to undertake a formal evaluation of the expanded Books for Babies: First 1000 Days programme. To date the feedback has been very positive.

We provide opportunities for high needs families with newborns and young children - particularly Maori and Pacific - to engage with their communities, develop confidence and parenting skills critical in the early years, and provide a better future for their children thereby reducing disparities in social and developmental outcomes. Books for Babies targets the highest need families to improve bonding between parent/caregiver and child and to encourage the families/whanau to understand and better value reading and talking to their children, and to become more aware of the benefits of providing a nurturing environment.

Through the Point Research evaluation work this year we have found that: • One in five (18%) of parents said they were seldom or never read to as a pre-schooler • A further 29% or could not remember having been read to as a pre-schooler • Around one-quarter (28%) said they were read to daily or more often • There has been a marked increase in the number of children’s books in the homes of those participating in the initiative • While a quarter (27%) of homes had no children’s books prior to the programme, this was no longer the case. There was a significant increase in the number of books in homes which appears to be more than the number of books provided.

We support families to understand thier child's development needs using books as the catalyst, to achieve bonding, child development and family literacy outcomes.

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Storytime Foundation Trust Board

Special Purpose Financial Report For the Year ended 30 June 2017

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INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF STORYTIME FOUNDATION Report on the Financial Information Auditor’s Responsibility

We have audited the accompanying financial information of Storytime Foundation Trust Board on pages 17 to 23 which

Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Financial

comprises the statement of financial performance and statement

Information based on our audit. We conducted our audit of the

of cashflows for the year ended 30 June 2017, the statement

Financial Information in accordance with International Standards

of financial position as at 30 June 2017, and the statement of

on Auditing (New Zealand) (ISAs (NZ)). Those standards require

accounting policies and other explanatory information (‘the

that we comply with ethical requirements and plan and perform

Financial Information’).

the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the

This report is made solely to the Trustees, as a body, in accordance

performance report is free from material misstatement.

with the Trust Deed. Our audit has been undertaken so that we

An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence

might state to the Trustees those matters we are required to state to

about the amounts and disclosures in the Financial Information.

them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest

The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s judgement,

extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility

including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of

to anyone other than the Trust and the Trustees, as a body, for our

the Financial Information, whether due to fraud or error. In making

audit work, for this report, or for the opinion we have formed.

those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant to the entity’s preparation and fair presentation of the

The Responsibility of the Trustees for the Performance Report

Financial Information in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the entity’s internal

The Trustees are responsible on behalf of the entity for:

control. An audit also includes, evaluating the appropriateness of

a. Identifying outcomes and outputs, and quantifying the outputs

accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting

to the extent practicable, that are relevant, reliable, comparable

estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall

and understandable, to report in the statement of service

presentation of the Financial Information.

performance;

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient

b. the preparation and fair presentation of the performance report which comprises:

and appropriate to provide a basis for our unmodified opinion.

• the entity information;

Other than in our capacity as auditor we have no relationship with,

• the statement of service performance; and

or interests in, Storytime Foundation Trust Board.

• the statement of financial performance, statement of financial position, statement of cashflows, statement of

Opinion

accounting policies and notes to the performance report in accordance with Public Benefit Entity Simple Format

In our opinion, the Financial Information presents fairly, in all material

Reporting – Accrual (Not-For-Profit) issued in New Zealand by

respects, the financial position of Storytime Foundation Trust Board

the New Zealand Accounting Standards Board; and

as at 30 June 2017, and its financial performance and cashflows for the year then ended in accordance with Public Benefit Entity Simple

c. for such internal control as the Trustees determine is necessary

Format Reporting – Accrual (Not-For-Profit).

to enable the preparation of the performance report that is free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

BDO AUCKLAND 16 February 2018 Auckland New Zealand 16

17 Note: Read in conjunction with Audit Report and Notes to the Financial Statements.

18 Note: Read in conjunction with Audit Report and Notes to the Financial Statements.

19 Note: Read in conjunction with Audit Report and Notes to the Financial Statements.

20 Note: Read in conjunction with the Audit Report

21 Note: Read in conjunction with the Audit Report

22 Note: Read in conjunction with the Audit Report

23 Note: Read in conjunction with the Audit Report

Storytime Foundation PO Box 18 340, Glen Innes, Auckland 1743 Contact: admin@storytime.org.nz | 021 252 8720 www.storytime.org.nz