Mater’s Parent Aide Unit has celebrated 40 years of caring for more than 1000 families through practical and compassionate volunteer support.

Mater’s Parent Aide Unit is a home visiting service who uses trained volunteer Parent Aides, who offer information, suggestions, practical help and importantly, encouragement—either in person or by telephone, particularly at times of crisis or distress.

Mater Parent Aide Unit Manager Robert Ferguson said families with the greatest levels of need, are often the least likely to access them and the most difficult to retain for long enough.

“We sometimes hear about ‘families falling between the cracks’, and I believe that Parent Aides are the only people who can fit in the cracks in which families fall,” Robert said.

“Parent Aides reach out to families and help them become visible,” he said.

There is now a record number of 55 Parent Aides who offer their time to families to reduce isolation either by distance, culture, or both.

A thank you event was held to recognise the Unit’s milestone, and one of the early recruits Carol Keates cut the cake. Carol has reached the staggering milestone of 38 years of service.

The Unit is always on the lookout for dedicated and compassionate Parent Aide volunteers. For more information on becoming a Parent Aide, visit their website for more information.