The NZ Outdoors Party will create a new program for mothers and families who require it, to be eligible for a support person – a “super-mum”or “super-aunty” who can support new parents transition smoothly into a successful, happy, well-rounded family unit.
“Super-Mums” will be experienced in child rearing from practical, hands-on experience of being a mother, managing a household and have had extra training to learn how to support new parents who are, for whatever reason, unsupported at this crucial time in their lives. This gives older mothers a chance to share their knowledge and wisdom, gain respect from their community, up-skill and earn money, and it gives new mums a chance to gradually build up confidence in their ability as a mother. Families will learn positive strategies for working with infants and babies, self-love and self-care (you can’t give to others what you can’t give to yourself), good nutrition and healthy shopping, housekeeping, budgeting, emotional support etc. (The NZ Outdoors Party will develop a curriculum for this purpose)
There would obviously be a need for ‘supervision’ and psychological support, both for the people receiving the “super-mum” support and those providing it.
It’s obvious that children are better off with their own families as this report into CYFS from 2015 shows. It makes sense that we have policy that supports families to be the best that they can be. The Outdoors Party will task government to ensure these missing children are located. https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/71484166/children-in-state-care-are-being-abused-and-cyf-is-failing-them—report?fbclid=IwAR3E87b6CqCu7l0hkr_mEpD5iknL_4Ne7iaWjSFvkWFLNplCtxHUG6FvwFU
There is already a program that proves that similar interventions work to support families to work through their troubles. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/420590/parent-support-programme-keeps-116-kids-with-families This Mana Whanau program can be a template to be further expanded and properly funded to improve outcomes, instead of it being a “last ditch effort”.