We are a not-for-profit organisation supporting and empowering families of premature and sick babies.
When a baby is admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) life as it was for the family ends. Priorities change and what was once important is sidelined. Daily tasks are put on hold while life revolves around the NICU schedule – cares, cuddles and car parks.
The best medicine you can give a premature baby is time with its mum and dad. Helping Little Hands provides practical support for families of the NICU so their time can be spent with their baby – giving kangaroo care, expressing, breastfeeding and spending time by the bedside.
By taking away the stress of necessary, everyday tasks we are making a positive impact to the experience of NICU families.
Every donation you make goes directly to providing vital assistance, from travel costs to emotional support programs. Your contribution, big or small, makes a tangible impact, ensuring no family faces the challenges of prematurity alone.
Join us in making a difference—one helping hand at a time. Your generosity is crucial in brightening the journey for these families.
About us
Helping Little Hands is a Perth-based not-for-profit organisation that provides a practical support network and advocacy for families of premature babies. Co-founded by families who've undergone their own NICU experiences, Helping Little Hands is passionately committed to offering tangible support and compassionate care to families dealing with the challenges of premature or sick babies.
We know first-hand how overwhelming and stressful the NICU can be and how everyday tasks can become too much. By providing services that relieve the stress of crucial, everyday concerns such as cooking, travel costs and mental health, we empower families to spend more time with their baby.
We are here to help make your journey just a little bit easier.
In Australia, 1 in every 10 babies is born prematurely and approximately 15% of all babies require some form of extra care at birth.
Our commitment
The Helping Little Hands operates in close collaboration with local social work teams and health professionals, to comprehensively assess and address the diverse needs of families.
Our commitment extends beyond immediate assistance, fostering enduring relationships to ensure families feel supported at every stage of their journey.
Our services
Here are some of our key services:
Nourishment
Weekly, our support reaches families with delicious, nutritious, and easily prepared snap-frozen meals and nibbles, alleviating the challenges of supermarket visits and cooking. Recognizing that parents often overlook meals during NICU stays, this service offers a convenient solution, granting families an extra hour with their little ones. Tailored for long-stay families, particularly those with additional children, experiencing isolation or financial stress, this initiative strives to provide meaningful support during challenging times.
Mental health
Research highlights correlations between NICU parent stress levels and factors such as milk supply, baby health, parent-child bond development, and post-traumatic stress post-NICU discharge. Teaming up with Happiness Co, we're developing a pioneering mental well-being program for parents of premature and sick babies. This program aims to offer support, mitigating both immediate and long-term impacts on mental health and emotional well-being for families facing these challenges.
Parent facilities
In collaboration with DesignFit, we transformed the parent lounge at King Edward Memorial Hospital NICU into a comfortable and supportive environment. Understanding the significance of parental involvement in premature baby care, it's crucial for parents to have a space conducive to spending extended hours in the hospital. DesignFit meticulously re-designed the inadequate kitchen facilities and lounge, surpassing expectations and creating an unrecognizable and inviting atmosphere from its previous state.
Our values
Family centred
The best medicine you can give a premature baby is time with their parents; we strongly support Family Integrated Care model (FIcare).
Empowerment
By providing services that relieve the stress of crucial, everyday tasks such as cooking and travel costs, we empower families to spend more time with their baby.
Dedicated
Helping Little Hands team is devoted to providing tangible support and compassionate care to families with premature or sick babies, co-founded by NICU-experienced families who understand the challenges.
Community
Having a sense of community is extremely important, especially during challenging times. We aim to build community so families can share the experience of having a premature baby.
Raise awareness
It is extremely important that families of premature babies know what services are available to them and know that, while every journey is different, they are not alone.
Companies that support us
Stories
“Anticipating identical twins brought immense joy until the diagnosis of Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome led to the loss of Logan at 21 weeks. Lewis, our surviving twin, fought from birth at 27.3 weeks, weighing 940 grams. Helping Little Hands played a crucial role throughout, supporting us alongside the exceptional medical team at King Edward Memorial Hospital. After 12.5 challenging weeks in the NICU, Lewis thrived, bringing our family together."
Joanne and Scott
"Expecting identical twin boys was an unexpected journey. Born three months premature, James and Fraser's NICU days challenged us. We faced heartbreak when James passed away after 3.5 weeks. Amidst the emotional rollercoaster, we celebrated Fraser's every little milestone, leaning on family, friends, and the incredible NICU staff. We finally brought him home after 123 days. Helping Little Hands provided crucial support, helping us piece together a new normal."
Kate and Adam
