THE NEONATAL TRUST (NEW ZEALAND)

The Neonatal Trust (New Zealand) was established in late 2009 and supports the parents of this country’s smallest and sickest babies.

A steady increase in the number of premature or sick newborn babies  in New Zealand (5-6,000+ per year) was the catalyst for the establishment of a national charity aimed at helping and supporting parents.

While hospitals look after our most vulnerable and newest citizens, the Neonatal Trust exists to provide a nationwide framework for regional neonatal pastoral care for their families across New Zealand.

To date, regional Trusts have been established in Auckland, Wellington and Otago; discussions are underway to set up branches in Waikato and Canterbury in the second half of 2010.

The Trusts collectively have three objectives:

The primary focus for the Trusts is supporting parents by helping them in whatever way we can to get through what is usually a very traumatic time.

Neonatal Trust volunteers, who have all had babies in one of the country’s five Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs), work to reduce the stress typically felt by families with premature or ill babies. They visit parents in the NICUs to assess individual needs, which can range from wanting access to information, to practical, financial or emotional help.

The Trust plans to establish local support groups for every stage of the neonatal experience nationwide.  For instance, the Auckland Trust already funds a development therapist who works with pre-school children at Trust-run playgroups.

The second aim of the Trusts is to assist the Neonatal Care Units in practical ways such as purchasing or contributing to the cost of equipment and funding for staff to attend neonatal educational seminars or other professional development.

The third aim of the Trusts is to aid neonatal-related medical research.

If you have any queries relating to the work of the Trusts, please do not hesitate to contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .