Home-Start Family Services is built on a foundation of parent-to-parent relationships.
We have an extensive network of trained, dedicated volunteers who visit parents and children at home to form genuine relationships and build stronger families.
As a Home-Start Volunteer, you can transform the lives of young children and their parents by sharing your knowledge and experience. Our volunteers work alongside parents in their own homes, to help them cope with the stresses and strains of life and to give them the skills, confidence and strength they need to nurture their babies and children. Volunteers bring a wide variety of skills, energy and life experience to the family they are matched with.
How to volunteer
We train, screen and supervise volunteers
We carefully match each volunteer with a family
Volunteers visit their family at a home each week for 2-3 hours
We support you so that you enjoy your experience
Are you the
right fit?
You’re a parent yourself or have direct parenting/caring experience
You love children
You’re non-judgemental, caring & reliable
You have a genuine desire to make a difference in the lives of children & parents
You have 2-3 hours per week free to visit a family
You have attended our free training & preparation course
Home-Start provides all the training, guidance and support you need to make a real difference.
You’ll also have the opportunity to meet new friends, enhance your wellbeing and develop new skills.
We will match you to a family you will enjoy visiting each week and where you can make the most difference. You may share a similar background or experience. We help you and the family settle into your new friendship and stay in touch with you both.
What will I do as a volunteer?
Volunteers are there to support parents and their children in the ways the family finds most useful.
• Practical & emotional support to parents
• Someone to talk to who remembers the pressures of parenting
• A listening ear to talk through parenting issues
• An extra pair of hands to help with the children
• Hold & cuddle babies
• Play with the children so parents can complete home tasks
• Go shopping with the family
• Help parents use local resources like playgroups or libraries, or attend medical or important appointments
Note: Home-Start volunteers don’t do house cleaning or babysitting but can help with household tasks if they choose to.
What are the benefits of volunteering?
Research shows that volunteering has a huge impact on our volunteers’ lives too.
Positive impacts include:
• Better mental & physical well-being
• Improved personal & communication skills
• A sense of doing something worthwhile
• Something to look forward to each week
• Improved chances for gaining work
• Better self-confidence and self-esteem
• Opportunity to form new friendships
Watch Chris’s
Story
Interested in establishing a Home-Start Volunteer program in your local area?
Home-Start began in Australia in 1989 and since then many local communities have embraced this wonderful best practice program.
Our model of friendly volunteer support has been adopted in 22 countries across the world and benefits not only the children and parents it serves, but also the volunteers themselves.
If you would like to know more about establishing this evidence-based program in your area, please contact Michelle, our CEO, by phone or email. We’d love to hear from you.
Michelle McDonell