MidCentral DHB is asking for the views of the Horowhenua, Ōtaki and Tararua communities when it comes to the care offered for whānau and pēpi in their first 1000 days of life.

The community engagement process, Tūngia te Ururua, will be asking the communities in these areas to share their thoughts on support they received or are receiving in providing care for their pēpi (baby) during the first 1000 days of life (from conception to two years of age). The information gathered will be used to optimise future service provision to best meet the needs of local wāhine, whānau and pēpi in Horowhenua, Ōtaki and Tararua.

Te Uru Pā Harakeke – Healthy Women Children and Youth Clinical Executive Dr Jeff Brown said that getting to the heart of what is going to serve each community is the aim of the project. “The first 1000 days are crucial to the lifelong health and wellbeing of the child, and we want to ensure that the services provided for wāhine, whānau and pēpi in these areas are best suited to their needs.”

Dr Brown said he encouraged anyone who, in the past two to five years, has engaged with maternity services and/or cared for pēpi in their first two years of life in Horowhenua, Ōtaki or Tararua, to get involved and have their say. “We want people in these communities to feel empowered through Tūngia te Ururua to contribute to the design of our services for future generations.”

Community engagement with focus groups will begin shortly, and the online version of the survey is now open for feedback. If you would like to contribute, please feel free to access the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/L7LWCMB

If you would like to receive further information about this project, please email Paula Spargo, Te Uru Pā Harakeke Planning and Integration Lead, at paula.spargo@midcentraldhb.govt.nz.

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