Currently, we operate in Tauranga, covering the areas from Waihi to Te Puke. Our Whakatāne location is set to open on May 15th, 2023, and our Rotorua location is scheduled to open in August 2023. While we are in discussions about potentially expanding to other areas, no firm dates for additional locations have been established at this time.

Mothers can be referred to our services by a range of service providers, including Te Whatu Ora social workers/nurses, Plunket, Family First, Midwives, Pepi Ora, and Doctors.

Please note that M4M does not accept self-referrals. If you are interested in participating in our programme, please contact one of the referring agencies listed above to be assessed for your suitability for our services. Thank you for your interest in M4M.

Once a mother is referred to us, our Regional Coordinator (RC) will arrange a visit with the mother to assess her family's needs and ensure that their environment is safe for a volunteer to visit. Based on the assessment, the RC will determine how many volunteers will be needed to support the family. The RC will then reach out to the volunteers to request their support, and the volunteers will offer assistance as needed. The RC will maintain a roster and keep a record of the hours provided by the volunteers. Our aim is to provide the mother and her family with the appropriate support to help them overcome any challenges they may be facing.

No, our services are not a babysitting service. While we may provide some temporary respite for mothers, our primary focus is on providing social, emotional, and practical support to help mothers overcome the challenges they may be facing. Our goal is to help improve the mother's confidence and competence so that they can become self-sufficient and no longer require our services. We are here to support mothers in a meaningful and sustainable way.

No, our services are not a housekeeping service. Our volunteers are there to support the mother by minding the baby so that she can have some time to catch up on any tasks she needs to complete, including housework. If the mother needs additional help with household duties such as getting other children ready for bed, cooking, or laundry, we have a paid service called Tiaki Atu that can provide assistance. Please contact our Regional Coordinator to find out more about how this service works.

Mums can receive support from our volunteers in 2-hour sessions and this can be more than once a week for a period of up to 12-weeks. In some cases, this period may be extended if there are ongoing needs and volunteers are available to continue. The number of volunteers needed will depend on the number of babies the mother has. For mothers with a single baby, they may need between 1-3 volunteers, while mothers with twins may require an average of 5-8 volunteers. In rare cases where a mother has triplets, we have provided support with a team of up to 17 volunteers.

Our volunteers visit for a duration of 2-hours per visit. The number of volunteers needed per week depends on the level of care required by the mother.

At the end of the 12-week support period, the Regional Coordinators will meet with the mother and review their current situation. If everything is going well, the mother should feel empowered to continue without the "official help" of the volunteers. We encourage volunteers to stay a part of the family's "village" as a friend of the family. If needed, support can be extended beyond the initial 12 weeks depending on the needs of the mother and baby.

We understand that transitioning out of a family violence situation can be challenging and overwhelming. To ensure the safety of both our volunteers and the mums and babies we serve, we require confirmation from a referring agency, such as Family First, that the perpetrator of the violence (also known as FOC) is currently in jail before we can provide assistance. If the FOC is released from jail, we will unfortunately have to withdraw our services for the safety of our volunteers. Please reach out to a referring agency to begin the process of accessing our support.

Yes, we do help Dads who are solo parents of the baby. Kidz Need Dadz can also be a good support to Dad as well.

If you are an immigrant to New Zealand and feel unsure about having strangers in your home, we understand your concerns. We want to assure you that we value and respect your culture and your parenting choices. In fact, our very first family we assisted was from India, and we have experience working with families from diverse backgrounds.

We are committed to adapting to your needs and preferences, and we always prioritise open and respectful communication. If there are things we don't know or do not get right, we welcome your feedback and guidance. Our founder is also a "Canadian-Kiwi," so we appreciate and celebrate diversity.

We take confidentiality very seriously and have a robust management system in place to protect our client's privacy. If you have concerns about someone you know working for our organization, please let us know by emailing us at connect@mums4mums.org.nz. We will investigate your concerns and take appropriate measures to ensure that your file in our database is not accessible to that individual.

We take you and your baby’s health seriously and will take the time during our Intake visit to learn and understand how you need to be supported. We will clearly communicate that to our volunteers and seek to match you with volunteers who are best suited to meet those requirements.

Our volunteers are dedicated to supporting community members without any expectation of payment, and they may feel uncomfortable accepting or declining a gift. Before giving a gift, we ask that you speak with your Regional Coordinator first to ensure that it is appropriate. Gifts should be valued at under $25.01 and limited to a maximum of two occasions per year.