Baby Makes 3: Respect and Equality

Baby Makes 3 Goal: “To promote equal and respectful relationships between men and women during the transition to parenthood.” OA Baby Makes 3 is primary prevention program to prevent violence against women. Its goal is “to promote EQUAL and RESPECTFUL relationships between men and women during the transition to parenthood.” So the theme of today’s forum fits perfectly with Baby Makes 3.

How does Baby Makes 3 prevent violence against women? Addresses the key drivers of violence against women: Stereotyped constructions of masculinity and femineity Condoning of violence against women Men’s control of decision making Disrespect towards women OA So, how does Baby Makes 3 prevent violence against women? Internationally-recognised research from VicHealth identifies the key causes of violence against women to be power imbalances between men and women and adherence to rigid gender roles. Baby Makes 3 specifically addresses these two themes and helps couples to build and maintain relationships that are equal and respectful.

Transition to parenthood Change in relationship dynamics due to changing roles Gendered norms and expectations Key risk period 2015 Maternal Health study 1 in 5 women experienced emotional and / or physical abuse in first 12 months after birth. Window of opportunity: engage fathers A recent briefing paper from the Australian Institute of Family Studies identified attitudes connected with gender and gender roles as the key factor affecting relationship satisfaction across the transition to parenthood. We’ve also seen it again and again in the Group Program, where mothers and fathers report that what it means to be a “good mum” is very different from what it means to be a “good dad”. And new parents feel these pressures very acutely. It is also worth noting that the transition to parenthood is a time when women are particularly vulnerable to intimate partner violence. Findings from the ABS Personal Safety Survey show that about one fifth of women who had experienced intimate partner violence reported that the violence first happened when they were pregnant. A range of other studies have found that family violence is often seen to intensify during pregnancy and in the year following the birth of a child. So we can see that the transition to parenthood is a very important time for primary prevention work, to help parents establish healthy patterns in their changing relationships. It also presents a window of opportunity to work with men. The birth of a first child is a time when men come in contact with health services and are more receptive to receiving and discussing the health of their family and their relationship.

What is Baby Makes 3? Centrepiece: Baby Makes 3 Group Program 3-week program for first-time parents about healthy relationships Supported by: Workforce capacity building Policy Partnerships OA what IS Baby Makes 3? The centrepiece is the Baby Makes 3 Group Program, a 3-week program for first-time parents about maintaining healthy relationships during the transition to parenthood. The Group Program is supported by a range of mutually reinforcing strategies. These include Fathers Nights, workforce capacity building and partnerships. Before we elaborate on each of these strategies, let’s look at how Baby Makes 3 came about, and how it prevents violence against women.

Baby Makes 3 Group Program Three evening sessions Mothers and fathers attend with their babies Co-facilitated by male and female facilitators Group work approach Usually delivered as part of MCH Service’s new parent group program MB… As mentioned, the Group Program is a series of three evening sessions for first time parents. Mothers and fathers attend with their babies. It is co-facilitated by pairs of male and female facilitators who have completed the Baby Makes 3 Facilitator Training Program. Baby Makes 3 uses a group work approach, where facilitators present information and guide participants through discussions and activities, as a large group and as smaller groups of mothers and fathers. The strength of the program lies in the group work approach, where parents are able to see that their experiences and challenges are shared by others. Ideally, the Baby Makes 3 Group Program forms part of the MCH Service’s new parent group program, which is offered to all parents. Acknowledge family types…???

Current BM3 Projects Two large-scale BM3 projects Department of Justice and Regulation funded 3 year project “Reducing violence against women & their children” grants program Three-year period (2013-15) Delivering BM3 across 12 councils Eastern Metropolitan region and Great South Coast Baby Makes 3+ (GSC only) working with ante-natal services to develop a seamless service model Currently 10 additional councils and 8 other agencies are in vary stages of delivering or planning a BM3 program (incl NSW, Qld). Koolin Ballit BM3 project

Our Achievements Across both projects: 48 men and women have been trained as facil 157 groups conducted across 12 LGAs 1705 first-time parents attended the program Over 76% of mums and 81% of dads reported the program very good or excellent Different implementation models have been tested to determine a sustainable program across a range of different sites and settings.

Parents report changes in: Our findings: Parents report changes in: Awareness Attitudes Skills Behaviour Enhanced communication skills / conflict resolution Importance of social connections OA By assisting couples build healthier, and more equal, relationships, Baby Makes 3 helps to prevent violence from occurring in the first place. I’ll now hand over to Monique to provide some detail on the Group Program.

Key messages from parents that other parents experience the same problems/challenges as us; the importance of partners’ time together and building/maintaining intimacy; understanding society’s expectations of mothers and fathers; the importance of the father’s time with child; the importance of task sharing; the importance of team working; problem solving and conflict resolution as particular relationship skills; ‘equal’ does not mean ‘same’. Parents loved it! 95% of mums and 89% of dads rated the program as “very good” or “excellent” More than 96% of both mums and dads rated it as highly “relevant”, “helpful” and “enjoyable” And there was excellent retention, with 90% of couples who attended Session 1 continuing on to Session 2 and 3 (and these are couples with tiny babies going out in the evening!) As you can see, parents responded favourably to the program. But more importantly, the evaluation found evidence of increased awareness, changed attitudes, and changed behaviour.

Learnings and challenges – from a regional context Who aren’t we reaching? Issue of uptake into NPG. Access to BM3 directly impacted by who’s accessing MCH services In GSC, 39% of first-time mums don’t attend NPG. Some groups under-represented – “young” mums, CALD Low birth numbers / geography/staffing/seasonal issues (farms)

What we have done Early establishment of strong partnerships Pool of facilitators to address distance issues Attending all new parent groups SMS reminders to parents Ante natal “pre BM3 session”-boost attendance- parents identified this as important PD training on gender equity / MCH package

Where to from here? Apply the evaluation findings to refine the delivery and update the program resources Review of MCH new parent groups Continue and expand the ante natal program Gender equity lenses in all services Advocate for father engagement and MCH capacity building Royal Commission findings Advocacy to embed BM3 messages in policy Language: ensure it is inclusive and reflective of our diverse society Need to advocate for creative thinking in the delivery of new parent groups

Baby Makes 3 Acknowledges funding and support from the Department of Justice and Regulation and Carrington Health. Contact Details: Libby Hargreaves Carrington Community Health Services Ltd 03 8843 2368 lhargreaves@carringtonhealth.org.au Steve Dawkins Warrnambool City Council 03 5559 4759 sdawkins@warrnambool.vic.gov.au