Cradle to Kinder: A Qualitative and Quantitative Evaluation of a Maternal and Child Health Intervention for Disadvantaged Young Mothers
Cradle to Kinder: A Prenatal and Postnatal Support Program for Young Mothers to Improve both Maternal and Infant Outcomes
Monash University
50 participants
Jul 12, 2017
Interventional
Conditions
Summary
Young disadvantaged mothers are at a higher likelihood of having their child/children removed from their care, which results in poor psychosocial outcomes for the mother and the infant. Therefore, a prospective cohort study will be conducted to evaluate the efficacy of the Cradle to Kinder program on psychosocial outcomes among young and vulnerable families. An anticipated sample of 50 young at-risk women and their families will receive the Cradle to Kinder program, commencing from pregnancy up until the child turns four years old, Cradle to Kinder is a targeted, intensive and long-term ante- and postnatal support service for vulnerable young mothers (aged less than 25 years with one or more risk factors) and their families. Cradle to Kinder practitioners will conduct weekly to fortnightly home visits and engage families in a range of different interventions to support and facilitate health outcomes. Assessments will be conducted by the practitioner at baseline and then every six months over the four years of the intervention. Maternal health outcomes (i.e., mental health, parenting capacity) will be measured using the North Carolina Family Assessment Scale, and infant outcomes (i.e., attachment style, social and emotional development) will be assessed by the Brigance. It is expected that families who engage in the program for its entire duration will demonstrate better psychosocial outcomes at the conclusion of the program compared to the beginning.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria1
- Pregnant women, aged under 25 years, with at least one risk factor, including: drug and alcohol use; mental health issues; experience of out-of-home care; low socioeconomic status; learning difficulty; child protection involvement; or experience of domestic violence. Mothers are eligible if there are concerns for the safety and wellbeing of their unborn child. If the mother is under the age of 18 then their guardian is required to provide consent.
Exclusion Criteria3
- Mothers aged over 25
- Not English speaking
- Families who do not reside within the Child FIRST catchment area
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Interventions
Cradle to Kinder Intervention. Cradle to Kinder is a targeted, intensive and long-term ante- and postnatal support service for vulnerable young mothers (aged less than 25 years) and their families commencing from pregnancy (at 30 weeks) until the child is four years old. Cradle to Kinder comprises a series of home visits, where each family is allocated their own Cradle to Kinder key worker (a trained social worker) who visits the family home once a week, on average, for approximately 1.5 hours. On average, frequency of contact is weekly or fortnightly home visits with regular phone contact in between, depending on the family’s need. The phone conversations are guided by the needs of the client and can include the following: reminder of strategies discussed during previous interactions, active listening and responding and reminders regarding upcoming appointments and meetings. Cradle to Kinder may also involve responding to unexpected or crisis situations that may arise over time during which the family will likely to require additional program support and frequency of contact. In home visits, the Cradle to Kinder practitioner implements interventions to support the family through their multiple and complex needs. Evidence-based intervention strategies that may be implemented during home visits include infant-parent relationship building, safety in the home, psycho-education, feeding practices, developing routines, improving caregiver sensitivity and responsively, and building practical parenting skills to respond to and manage varying behaviours. These interventions are delivered using verbal discussions, educational brochures and observational modelling. Adherence to the intervention was reported in the key worker's case notes after each visitation which asks the worker to complete the content of the intervention delivered, duration of visitation and any other observations they need to report.
Locations(1)
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ACTRN12619001517167