Caring Mums

NCJWA Victoria is a 100-year-old community organisation supporting women, girls and families across the life course. Working through three aligned legal entities, they respond to vulnerability with compassion, strengthen community connection and create pathways for people to receive support, build confidence and ultimately give back to others.

Their flagship program, Caring Mums, provides free, early-intervention emotional support to pregnant women and new mothers experiencing isolation, anxiety, limited family support or the challenges of adjusting to motherhood. Each mother is matched with a carefully selected and professionally trained volunteer who visits weekly for up to 12 months. Volunteers receive specialist training, including Mental Health First Aid and matrescence education, as well as fortnightly professional supervision. This trusted, relationship-based model complements clinical and maternal health services while reaching mothers who might otherwise fall through the gaps.

Caring Mums has supported more than 1,000 mothers from 52 cultural backgrounds. In 2024–25, 82 mothers were supported across six Victorian local government areas, with volunteers contributing more than 5,000 hours. Program evaluation found that 65% of mothers experienced reduced isolation and 53% increased their use of other services.

NCJWA Victoria’s current priority is to expand Caring Mums’ reach and cultural accessibility, recruit and train more volunteers, strengthen referral pathways and sustain high-quality supervision. Funding will help more mothers feel less alone, more confident and better connected during one of life’s most vulnerable and formative transitions.

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