Budget 2019: Hawke's Bay Plunket nurse's programme gets PM's shoutout - and $10m

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a $10 million boost to roll out a Hawke's Bay programme to other areas in New Zealand. Photo / File

A programme set up by a Hawke's Bay Plunket nurse has been given $10 million - and a massive shoutout from the Prime Minister - in the Government's Wellbeing Budget.

During her speech on the Budget, PM Jacinda Ardern that she had been visiting Hawke's Bay when she met a Plunket nurse called Nicky who had set up the programme.

"She was a passionate believer in the power of good strong relationships between nurses and new mums.

"So she started a trial. She paired a well-qualified nurse who related well to young people, with a group of young mums who were considered to be vulnerable."

The nurse would visit the mothers and help connect them with other services they needed.

"The result? Higher rates of breastfeeding, immunisation and uptake of other support like dealing with the consequences of trauma, or family violence and even budgetary advice," Ardern continued.

She said she believed in the power of intervention and that supporting mothers helped children to thrive.

"And so in this Budget we begin the journey by putting $10 million into extending Nicky's programme into three sites across New Zealand – which I hope is just the beginning."

The programme falls into the category of "Taking Mental Health Seriously", in the Budget, and Ardern said during her speech that the best place to start was with mothers.

The money will enhance support for parents and whānau who have mental health or addiction needs during pregnancy and for the first two years of a child's life or after a still birth.

It will also help keep at risk children safe, a joint press release from six ministers, including the Prime Minister, stated.

The programme has been allocated $10 million in the Budget to roll out in three locations in New Zealand.