Volunteer home visiting offers practical and social supports to parents with young children; whether it be someone to help a child pack away their toys, accompany the family to the supermarket, supervise an active toddler while the parent has a bath or nap or just someone to talk to ....

Parents may feel that the ongoing demands of young children leave them with little time to themselves, particularly if they do not have the support once provided by extended family and friends.  While some families have particular concerns (e.g. a difficult birth, a large number of children, financial challenges, a flooded flat, health concerns, or language/cultural challenges), most (77%) of our families approach us because the support once available to parents from grandparents, cousins, siblings and friends is no longer there.

Regular visits by a volunteer who lives in the local area can be helpful for the family to feel more supported in their extremely valuable role of parenting their young children and to feel connected to their local area.

From the research into child development we also know that children do better in all aspects of their development when parents are able to respond to the emotional needs of their children.  Parents cannot respond effectively if they are not supported by other people in the community, and the Loving Care Volunteer Home visiting program aims to provide that support.