Community Bubs
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Community Bubs – an innovative model of intensive outreach aims to strengthen the individual, family and community resources, in order for at-risk infants to thrive and develop safely in the care of their family.
Findings:
- 100% of infants remained living safely at home
- 87% of participant families (13/15) developed and maintained appropriate community connections
- 80% of participant families (12/15) showed reduced risk factors, and have been assessed by the Parent Support Worker as being at lower risk
- 87% of infants (14/16) were assessed by the worker to have established a positive attachment with their parent/s
- 87% of families (14/16) showed evidence of stability in maintaining housing, finances and key relationships. It is worth noting that 100% of participants maintained stable finances and family relationships.
The Community Bubs program provides a home-based holistic
service for highly vulnerable families where the parents
are limited in their capacity to provide for the safety,
development and well being of their infant.
The program provides a home-based holistic service for vulnerable families where the parents are limited in their capacity to provide for the safety, development and well being of their infant.
Evidence suggests that the best outcomes for children are
achieved when they are able to develop in a family environment
forming lifetime relationship of love, bonding, and attachment.
The Community Bubs program is research-based 3 year pilot
study, with the research strategy having been developed in
conjunction with the Monash University Social Work department.
Results Accountability criteria are used for measuring cost-effectiveness
of the services being delivered.
Unlike many intervention programs which provide assistance
to vulnerable babies and their families for a short term,
the Community Bubs program offers intensive assistance for
up to a year. A professional Parent Support Worker provides
support to the families and babies for three months. After
this initial 3 month period, a trained and fully-supervised
Family Support volunteer engages with the family for a further
9 months.
Fundamental to the program is the linking of the families
into the broader community, in particular to the Family Life
run Creating Capable Communities program and the Keith Street
Community House.
The goal is to create a legacy of change which can be sustained
and thus ensure the wellbeing of the infant and parent when
services withdraw.
A reference group of experts is overseeing the pilot including
representatives from The University of Melbourne, The Centre
for Child Health, Family and Community Services, Maternal
and Child Health Bayside and Dandenong Early Steps Program.
The Community Bubs program is only possible thanks to the
generosity of Roger and Pat Riordan, trustees of the Cybec
Foundation. On behalf of all of the babies and their
families a very big thank you Roger and Pat.
Community Bubs Documents
Community Bubs: A model for healthy families,
healthy infants. What’s working?
This paper was presented at the Australian Association for
Infant Mental Health National Conference July 2005 in Brisbane.
The paper focuses on explanation of the program model, the value of volunteer's
work with families in the program and the research findings to date.
This document is in PDF format. To save on your computer
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