Meet the KidsLink Family
Michele Yock
Founder, director and ideas lady

The idea for KidsLink has been bubbling away in Michele’s heart and soul for a long time. When her Principal at Red Beach School (Lesley Tait) created a list of people in the local area who worked with children, Michele could see that the need for this kind of list was not just relevant to Red Beach… it is needed everywhere! So kidslink.co.nz was created and it is so much more than a simple list.

Thanks to her background as a classroom teacher, in South Auckland and more recently on the Hibiscus Coast, Michele is passionate about making sure all children can reach their potential by accessing the help they need. Michele co-ordinates the “Help for Kids” programme – KidsLink’s philanthropic arm, connecting children with the help and support they need to grow and achieve. Every week new children, teens and families across Auckland are benefiting from her work!

Michele meets with schools who will partner with KidsLink. She organises SENCo meetings and co-ordinates the KidsLink events. She is always on the lookout for service providers that will be great on KidsLink and wants KidsLink to become a nation wide resource.

With her people skills and passion for new ideas, Michele is the KidsLink creative genius and emotional heart.

Email: [email protected]
Julie Whitcombe
Co-founder, director and systems lady

As a classroom teacher, Julie was often asked “Do you know anyone who can help my child with…?” or “We’ve had an assessment done, what do we do next?” so when Michele came up with the idea of creating KidsLink, Julie loved it straight away.

When Julie thinks about KidsLink, she holds the image of a mother in her head – it’s 11pm, this mother is worried about her child and wants to find someone in the local area who can help. Julie is excited because, thanks to KidsLink, the mother can now sit in the privacy of her own home and search for specialist providers who are passionate about helping kids. This Mum doesn’t have to go through the grating process of a google search – she can go to kidslinkdev.wpengine.com and know that the information and service providers she needs will be there – all in one place, all in the same easy to use format. What Julie loves about KidsLink is that this Mum can find the help she needs, she can contact the service providers straight from the site and go to bed knowing that she has taken action – it’s going to be OK.

As an educator, Julie first started her career teaching in the early childhood sector, and then went on to teach in primary and intermediate schools. In 2001, Julie was seconded by the Ministry of Education to be a Numeracy Facilitator, where she introduced the Numeracy Project to schools across Auckland. She has since presented at national conferences and day courses across New Zealand.

With her organisation skills and attention to detail, Julie is the KidsLink team manager and office admin queen!

KidsLink was created from our teaching backgrounds, because there was a need for a current up-to-date resource tool of services that families and schools can connect with to help with educational, physical and emotional needs for their kids and teenagers.
Our mission is to connect the right service to the right child at the right time.
Julie & Michele, KidsLink Directors