Emma Taylor gets thumbs up for work with Plunket

Emma Taylor has received EPIC Te Puke's Thumbs Up award.

Plunket’s Emma Taylor is the latest recipient of EPIC Te Puke’s Thumbs Up award.

With her passion for child service and uplifting families, she has changed the lives of all ages.

The support and help she offers to the whole whānau is life-changing. Working for Plunket, she’s able to guide children and parents throughout their early developmental stages – also gaining connections and relationships to further support whānau through any struggles or hardships.

Emma began her career in early childhood care through schools, from teaching primary school children how to babysit, to working on assessments with high school students.

Then, 11 years ago, she was offered a job at Plunket. As a mother, she was thrilled.

Not only would she continue working in early childhood care, but she could also directly support families who had gone through the same ‘life-changing’ experience she had.

At Plunket Emma works with nurses and oversees a child’s life from birth to 5 years old in Te Puke, Welcome Bay and the Eastern Bay of Plenty.

She assists families with any issue, whether it is sleep, settling, behaviour, development, maternal health, medical health or nutrition, giving whānau the help they need and teaching them how to deal with any difficulties they might have.

Emma is especially passionate about her job because Plunket is unique to New Zealand, giving her a special opportunity to support New Zealand families and change children’s lives forever.

Once registered, families are assisted until a child goes to school.

Records can be passed on to other Plunket branches if a family moved.

“The whole job is about relationships,’’ says Emma.

Connecting with parents and other child wellbeing and care organisations, she forms meaningful relationships with everyone she meets.

Emma stresses that the support she offers is not to take over parenting responsibilities, but to help parents on the same journey she went through.

She says there is a recognition that parenting styles differ and that there is a range of different cultures in Te Puke with different needs.

“Everybody is respected and their differences are adjusted to.”

Working at Plunket, Emma says, is a very rewarding job that she is incredibly passionate about.

Her job is never boring and the wide range of support people need means she is always doing something different, from holding a toddler’s hand as they go to the dentist to teaching people about choking hazards and safety.

Recently, Plunket and Emma have begun establishing new experiences for families in Te Puke, including a coffee morning where parents can meet up and children can play together, allowing connections to be made between all ages.

Check out Plunket Te Puke at 13 Queen St, or visit the Plunket website for more information.

■ Brooke Kenny is a Year 13 Te Puke High School student undertaking work experience with EPIC Te Puke.