The ‘Safe Nest Group’ pilot project – early intervention for mothers and infants leaving family violence
Project length
2 years
2 years
This pilot study will evaluate the effectiveness of a community based early intervention program for women and their children (0-3 years) exposed to family violence.
The ‘Safe Nest Group’ (SNG) program is adapted from the Peek-a-Boo Club™ model (Bunston et al., 2016). It is a closed, infant-led group intervention for mother-infant dyads who have left violent relationships and are staying in refuge or other stable transitional housing.
The program will be run through Emerge: Women and Children’s Support Network in Melbourne.
The specific aims of the research are to:
- Examine the impact of the SNG program on maternal depression, stress and anxiety (i.e., maternal wellbeing).
- Determine whether the SNG program reduces trauma symptoms (i.e, dissociation) experienced by the mother.
- Examine the impact of the SNG program on social withdrawal behaviours in the infant.
- Determine the impact of the SNG program on the quality of the mother-child relationship.
- Explore mother’s subjective experience of the SNG program, including their satisfaction with the content and delivery of the program.
Researchers
Project lead
Dr Katie Wood, Swinburne University of Technology
Research expertise
Associate Professor Rebecca Giallo, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute
Practice expertise
Emerge: Women and Children’s Support Network
Budget
$119,890
Allocated from funds distributed by the Luke Batty Foundation