Newborn Programme Kahu Taurima
To support your practice in achieving the 6-week immunisation target and to strengthen our communities, we have created an incentive programme to support enrolment and immunisation of newborns with additional assistance for whānau from priority populations.
Welcome pack
New parents will be invited to enrol their baby at their general practice to receive a free newborn welcome pack/kete as an incentive for them to attend their 6-week funded baby check-up, and to encourage newborn enrolment as well as immunisations. The packs include a set of biodegradable nappies and wipes, as well as a children’s book inside a woven kete.
Hauora wellness check-up voucher
For Māori, Pacific, and Community Service Card (CSC) holders, there is an additional incentive of a $60 credit with the pack. General practices can claim for carrying out a Caregiver Wellbeing/Hauora Check-up for baby’s mum (or primary caregiver).
For more details, please check the programme summary sheet and the FAQs below. If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact your primary care relationship manager.
FAQ’s for general practices
How will new mothers/caregivers know about the packs?
Brochures will be handed out by the Newborn Hearing team. Those identified as priority populations, will also be called by our Pou Manaaki call centre to encourage enrolment and/or immunisation.
How many welcome packs/kete will we receive at a time?
No more than 10 at a time. You can order more from your relationship manager.
When should the appointment for the baby immunisation be made?
Up to and including 8 weeks.
How do we reorder packs?
Via the Primary Care Network Team.
How do we claim the credit for the caregiver wellbeing/hauora check-up?
Please claim funds ($69.00 inc. GST) for this appointment through the WellSouth portal using the programme named: NEWBORN CAREGIVER WELLBEING CHECK-UP/KAHU TAURIMA.
Additional measures are being looked at in order to meet targets i.e. financial/performance-based capitation.
Can the voucher be transferred to other family/whānau members once given out?
Only in exceptional circumstances e.g. if the child has a new primary caregiver during these first 8 weeks.
Can the voucher be used to clear debt held at the practice?
No.
Does the newborn need to be enrolled at the practice to receive the kete/pack?
Yes.
Does the mother need to be enrolled at the practice to receive the voucher?
Ideally the mother will enrol at the practice. But if she chooses not to, she can still use the wellbeing voucher at the general practice where baby is enrolled, and that practice can claim as usual.
Can the voucher be used for any health needs the caregiver presents with?
Yes, however it cannot be used for Access & Choice consultations as these are already subsidised.
What if the mother/primary caregiver does not enrol in time and the newborn pre-enrolment expires?
If the baby is enrolled after the pre-enrolment period expires (e.g. 12-months), the contents of the newborn welcome pack/kete are unlikely to be of much use to the whānau.
What if the general practice cannot enrol the mother/primary caregiver as well as the baby?
The mother/primary caregiver can still use the caregiver wellbeing/hauora voucher at the practice where the baby is enrolled. A co-payment may be required to cover costs associated with being a casual patient.
If a parent gives birth to multiple babies at one time, can they receive multiple gift packs/kete?
Yes, they can be given one pack per child.
If a caregiver has multiple children at one time, are they able to access more than one caregiver wellbeing/hauora appointment?
No. Caregiver’s may only access one wellbeing voucher per year. In exceptional circumstances, where a parent gives birth to one child on or near 1 October 2025 and the same parent gives birth to another child before 30 September 2026, they may access a second wellbeing voucher.
Can I opt off the programme?
Yes, you can, however we encourage all general practices to participate to support immunisations and enrolment, particularly as this is targeted at those often hardest to reach.
What does Kahu Taurima mean?
"Kahu Taurima" is a term in our health system that translates to "protective cloak of support and care," and focussed on the first 2,000 days. More information is on the Health New Zealand I Te Whatu Ora page.