A family resource centre in P.E.I.'s Évangéline region is launching a volunteer program aimed at providing relief for new moms.

Cap enfants director Rachelle Smith says the program will be modelled after a similar program that's been running in Quebec for decades.

"We don't have anything like that here on P.E.I. Why not adapt it to our needs here?" she said.

"There is a lot of interest in the Évangéline region right now. There's a little bit of a baby boom ... It's still in the early stages, but we're very hopeful that this program is going to be successful."

'We're very excited'

An organization named Marraine Tendresse has been running in Sherbrooke, Que., for the last 25 years.

Program director Nathalie Desrosiers said it's aimed at offering new mothers who might be tired, worried or isolated a little help or just someone to talk to.

"Our volunteers visit mothers for three hours a week for a period of 12 weeks," Desrosiers said.

"We know it's a success up there, so we're very excited to bring it here on P.E.I."

Over the past year, Desrosiers said, Marraine Tendresse has helped 132 families thanks to hundreds of volunteers.

Annik Vaillancourt, the director of the Early Childhood Centre in Évangéline, volunteered with Marraine Tendresse for two years and came up with starting a similar program in P.E.I.

"The experience was was very, very great," said Vaillancourt.

Eyeing expansion

Smith hasn't recruited any moms yet but plans to start as soon as she has volunteers lined up. There's no training or experience necessary, but volunteers will attend an information session.

Smith said her program coordinator in New Brunswick is interested in the program, too.

"If this is a success, we're hoping to at least launch it in New Brunswick too, to see how far it will go over there."

Smith hopes to launch the program in October.