VFC volunteers connect over the phone with a family for approximately 30 minutes every week (usually a 2 hours home visit, however changed to 30 min phone call during COVID) and can help parents adjust to a new baby, cope with multiple children, assist parents to overcome feelings of isolation or frustration, and work with parents to help them meet some of the challenges they are experiencing.

Volunteers help parents and young children, in-home or in a community space, or can assist parents by accompanying them to an appointment or errand. Working together with community and professional services, the Volunteer Family Connect program aims to increase parents’ confidence in their parenting and increase families’ connectedness to local community networks.

With supervision and support from the Coordinator, a Community Parent will: • Offer support (non-directive, affirming, listening) and, when requested, information to parents to reinforce appropriate parenting skills • Use a Strengths Based Approach • Identify additional needs and/or concerns and raise these with the Coordinator for advice for case management and appropriate referral to another service • Take every opportunity to inform the parent(s) about the range of services that are available to them • Adhere to the philosophy and principles of Save the Children