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Mothers Project
Mothers Project seeks to enable meaningful connections between imprisoned mothers and their children.
Two out of three imprisoned women are mothers. On average, they leave behind nearly three children each when they go to prison. Those children aren’t guilty of anything - yet they pay a heavy price. They grow up without daily contact with their mother, sometimes without any contact at all, because the three women’s prisons in our country are too far away and visits are too costly.
Around 75% of women in prison have been victims of family violence.
More than half have been sexually assaulted.
At least 60% have literacy and numeracy skills below NCEA Level 1.
The majority live with untreated trauma, addiction, or mental health conditions.
How It Works
Our volunteers visit every women's prison in New Zealand each month to help imprisoned mothers understand their responsibilities and rights regarding their children.
Volunteers make calls to Oranga Tamariki (the Ministry for Children), family members, caregivers, schools and legal aid lawyers, to open communicate lines and arrange prison calls and visits with children as appropriate.
Our volunteers update the mothers they meet with so they understand where their children are and who is taking care of them.
We also offer a Storybook Programme - where mothers can pick and read a story aloud. Our volunteers send the recording and book out to the children so they can hear their mother read them a story.
The Hui goes behind bars to meet mums desperate to reconnect with their tamariki and the woman that's helping them to do so.