A Christchurch school principal is excited mental health professionals will soon be working in his school.

Yesterday the government rolled out the first stage of Mana Ake - Stronger for Tomorrow, which provides additional support for children who have been impacted by earthquakes.

The three year, $28 million programme aims to have a mental health support worker available to all primary and intermediate age school children in Canterbury and Kaikoura.

Hornby Primary School principal Gary Roberts says school children need the support.

"There is a growing need throughout Hornby and certainly throughout Christchurch that are arriving at school and presenting with a variety of needs."

Roberts says there's still work to do before they start in schools.

"We need to sit down and decide what are the needs and how best to utilise the resources we have so we will hope to have some of these people supporting us in our schools as soon as possible."