Whānau Āwhina Plunket says there's no truth to "misinformation" spreading on social media that it's about to cut services to kids who aren't Māori or Pasifika.
A petition signed by about 2500 people has been doing the rounds on Facebook, claiming the Labour Government "have sneakily decided to limit who Plunket Nurses can see".
Plunket has been offering assistance to new parents for more than 100 years in New Zealand, offering health checks and home visits right up until kids start school.
But according to a petition on website change.org, "Plunket nurses can no longer see babies over 15 weeks old unless babies and families are of Māori/Pasifika decent and some other babies who have higher needs such as falling in the premature category [sic].
"The government have left our Plunket nurses to face the backlash of this, there has been little to no consultation and it has been done in an extremely sneaky way! Let's take this back to Jacinda and her government and demand some answers and some solutions so that we can make Plunket accessible to all families like it has been for many years!"
One person commented on the petition, "Disgusting move you horrendous government!" and another said the decision came from a "f***ed racist government".
A mother on Facebook said she was "warned" by a Plunket nurse the care on offer was "going to change drastically" to "focus on Māori, Pacific Islanders".
Plunket said there was no truth to the rumours.
"This information is incorrect," a spokesperson told Newshub. "The Government has not limited who our nurses can see, and this petition is sadly based on misinformation. We are here for all Kiwi whānau and families who need us.
"The way in which people routinely access and receive our services will depend on their level of need. Everyone will still be able to access our services."
Plunket put the same message on its Facebook shortly after Newshub got in touch.
"If anyone needs additional support, they can contact us and we will help them," the spokesperson said.
"Our dedicated helpline PlunketLine 0800 933 922 is also available 24/7, with experienced Plunket nurses who can offer guidance and support."
Facebook has become a hotbed of misinformation in recent years, particularly when it comes to health. The internet giant has made efforts to crack down lately, with limited success.
