A new model of care will strengthen support for vulnerable families during pregnancy and enable tailored support before their baby arrives.
Each year, the Department for Child Protection (DCP)’s Child Abuse Report Line receives notifications about unborn babies, known as unborn child concerns (UCCs), when there are indicators that a baby may be at risk.
UCCs may include the presence of domestic and family violence, alcohol and other drug use and serious untreated mental health issues. Being alerted to these concerns provides an opportunity to work with families early to promote safety, stability and a healthy start to life.
The new Prenatal Safety and Support Model (the Model) (external site) (PDF) strengthens this approach by providing a consistent and research‑informed framework for early engagement with families during pregnancy. The model, operational this month, is based on national and international best practice in prenatal child protection and family support.
The Model promotes:
- transparent, compassionate and culturally-responsive engagement
- the importance of the earliest possible engagement with families to maximise their access to support before the baby is born
- the significance of connection to family, culture and community and includes mechanisms that support implementation of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle.
In many situations, the most appropriate response is to connect expectant parents with intensive, community-based support from government or non-government agencies. Where more serious concerns exist regarding the infant’s safety, DCP undertakes a comprehensive prenatal assessment.
To strengthen interagency practice with vulnerable families, DCP is partnering with the Australian Centre for Child Protection, Department of Human Services, and SA Health to develop an interagency protocol that will strengthen collaboration when working with families of unborn babies.
DCP has also worked with non-government partners Relationships Australia SA and Aboriginal Family Support Services to expand access to Family Group Conferences which mobilise extended family strengths and empower families to lead decision making for their babies.
By embedding best‑practice prenatal intervention, the Prenatal Safety and Support Model will play a crucial role in helping to reduce the number of babies entering care at birth.