M.03.03 Feeding and bonding facilities

The feeding and bonding facilities aim to replicate a domestic lounge setting for mothers who are in prison, to feed and bond with their children on a daily basis in a safe, suitable and secure environment, encouraging pro-social activity, and providing for the inherent rights of the child.
Feeding and bonding facilities are designated facilities for mothers who are not eligible or choose not to have their child with them in full-time residence in a self-care unit.
Mothers who have regular contact visits with their children in feeding and bonding facilities are able to:
1. minimise the impact of their imprisonment on their children.
2. demonstrate the fostering of their relationship with their child.
3. actively contribute to the reduction in the likelihood of intergenerational criminality.

M.03.03.01 Feeding and bonding facility access criteria

Mothers applying for access to and use of feeding and bonding facilities need to:
1. have a child under 24 (twenty-four) months old
2. sign the [M.03.03.Form.02 Agreement for use of feeding and bonding facilities]
3. have their application to use feeding and bonding facilities approved by the prison director.

Medical diets apply to pregnant and breastfeeding wāhine (women).

Please refer to [F.01.Res.01 Catering].

For initial and continued access and use of the feeding and bonding facilities, mothers need to:
1. be alcohol and drug-free
2. have continued commitment from caregiver to provide access to the child
3. adhere to the signed [M.03.03 Form.02 Agreement for use of feeding and bonding facilities].

Applications to have any child brought into the Prison for the purposes of feeding and bonding must be made to the prison director.
The mother (prisoner) needs to:
1. meet the criteria under [M.03.03.01 Feeding and bonding facility access criteria] and [M.03.03.02 Feeding and bonding facility access retention criteria] above.
2. complete section 3 of [M.03.03.Form.01 Application for use of feeding and bonding facilities]
3. enter into an agreement using the [M.03.03.Form.02 Agreement for use of feeding and bonding facilities] with the prison director about the conditions of using a feeding and bonding facility.
The social worker will assist by:
1. completing the feeding and bonding application alongside the mother
2. gathering information from the Ministry of Justice and Oranga Tamariki to clarify any legal orders pertaining to the child
3. consulting with other corrections staff where appropriate.
The social worker will then make a recommendation to the prison director.
If the mother is applying for a mother and child placement and feeding and bonding facilities, only the [M.03.08.Form.01 Mother with child placement application assessment] needs to be completed. If she is only applying for feeding and bonding facilities use [M.03.03.Form.01 Application for use of feeding and bonding facilities].

The prison director, before making a decision, must:
1. consider the best interest of the child, and
2. be satisfied that the placing is not inconsistent with any court order relating to the child, and
3. be satisfied that the placing is consistent with maintaining the security and good order of the prison.
If the applicant is remand accused and will be mixing with sentenced prisoners when using the feeding and bonding facilities, the prison director must obtain approval from Manager Operations Support in National Office.

The prison director must:
1. endorse [M.03.03.Form.02 Agreement for use of feeding and bonding facilities]
2. sign [M.03.03.Form.03 Decision for use of feeding and bonding facilities]
3. forward the forms to the prisoner’s unit PCO, who then informs the prisoner and arranges for the feeding and bonding sessions to begin.

The prison director records on [M.03.03.Form.03 Decision for use of feeding and bonding facilities] his or her reasons for declining the application for part time care of the child in a feeding and bonding facility.
The prison director forwards [M.03.03.Form.03 Decision for use of feeding and bonding facilities] to the unit PCO, who informs the prisoner, their application has been declined.
The unit PCO arranges for the prisoner to undertake [M.05 Prisoners at risk of self harm] [M.05.02.Form.02 Review risk assessment].
The prisoner must be informed that she can have this decision reviewed by the senior advisor to regional commissioner, through the Prisoner complaints process. A copy of [M.03.03.Form.03 Decision for use of feeding and bonding facilities] is given to the prisoner.
The signed [M.03.03.Form.03 Decision for use of feeding and bonding facilities] is placed in prisoner’s file under D section.

A prisoner approved to use the feeding and bonding facilities must have 24-hour access to breast pumps for the purpose of expressing milk. (This requires breast pumps and polystyrene chill bags for storage being available in feeding and bonding facilities during the day and in the prisoner’s cell at night).
The prisoner’s use of the facility ceases when:
1. it is deemed to no longer be in the best interests of the child (in consultation with appropriate staff and external agencies)
2. the child reaches 24 (twenty-four) months of age
3. the prisoner is paroled
4. the prisoner is released.
The prison director may end the use of the feeding and bonding facility if the prisoner:
1. becomes IDU
2. is not meeting their responsibilities under the agreement.
Sites must have a feeding and bonding facility procedure instructing and assisting staff working in these facilities.
Women using a feeding and bonding facility will be supplied meals from the prison kitchen if required.
Women using the feeding and bonding facility will be responsible for the tidiness and cleanliness of the feeding and bonding facility.
Should the prisoner not meet the criteria to use the feeding and bonding facilities, arrangements to express milk and transportation of the milk to the child will be arranged with the primary caregiver of the child, or Oranga Tamariki, as the case may be.