Human Services News - Help for mums and bubs

Department of Human Services, Victoria, Australia

April 2005

Help for mums and bubs

Karen’s story

Karen is 26 and living on a public housing estate with her four-month-old daughter and partner of two years, Paul.

Because of heroin misuse Karen had found herself unable to look after a four-year-old child from a previous relationship.

Karen and her family were referred to the Community Bubs program by the Enhanced Home Visiting Maternal and Child Health Nurse.

Karen identified parenting skills, quitting methadone, budgeting and clearing warrants as issues she needed to address under the program.

It became clear later, however, that issues around her relationship with Paul—including domestic violence, self-confidence, self-esteem, communication skills and isolation—were also of concern to her.

Karen is now linked into a regular family support volunteer meeting.

She and the volunteer have connected well and have continued to work on Karen’s goals.

She has grown in self-confidence, feels more connected to her community and has also been able to work to resolve many of her personal issues.

Karen believes Community Bubs has changed her life and helped her make significant change.

About 18 parents—mostly mothers of babies at risk of child abuse and neglect in the Bayside area of Melbourne have received intensive individual support under a Southern Family Life pilot project.

The three-year Community Bubs program was established in 2003 to test family-strengthening strategies for vulnerable parents with new babies.

Able to cater for 12 families a year—36 families over three years—Community Bubs was funded by the Cybec Foundation, set up in Victoria by computer antivirus software designer Roger Riordan.

The research component was developed with Monash University’s Department of Social Work which conducts ongoing interviews with families and workers.

Families engaged in the program mostly live in local public housing and have been assessed, using child protection criteria as having medium to high level complex needs.

Issues can include difficulties with previous children and relationships, past or current domestic violence, personal, health and drug and alcohol issues as well as lack of education and life skills.

A Parent Support Worker provides intensive help for each parent for three months then a trained Family Support Volunteer becomes involved—for up to nine months.

Southern Family Life links the families to local community service providers and social support networks.

Goal of the 12-month intervention is to strengthen individual, family and community resources to ensure sustained change, enabling infants to thrive and develop safely in the care of their mothers.

Community Bubs includes a research team collecting and analysing pre- and post-service data.

An advisory group of experts, including representatives from Melbourne University, the Centre for Child Health, Family and Community Services, Maternal and Child Health Bayside and the Department of Human Services, is contributing the program’s development.

• For more information on the Community Bubs program contact Project Coordinator Alison Normanton or Parent Support Worker Tina Smith at Southern Family Life on 9598 2133.

State Government Victoria

Updated 12 April 2005

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