Australian Institute of Family Studies

Background

The Cradle to Kinder program is an ante and post-natal support service in Victoria that provides intensive family and early parenting support to vulnerable young mothers and their children. The service commences during pregnancy and continues until the child is four years old. The target group for the Cradle to Kinder service is young pregnant women under 25 years of age.

About the project

Six Cradle to Kinder programs, including one Aboriginal program, have been operating since 2012. The program aims to build the capacity of parents to provide for their children’s health, safety and development and to build and maintain their self reliance through access to education, vocational training and employment.

AIFS, in partnership with the Centre for Community and Child Health, is conducting a comprehensive evaluation of the program over two years. The evaluation will examine:

• how well the design of these programs has met and addressed the needs of the target population and achieved intended client outcomes
• what lessons have been learnt, critical success factors and areas for improvement in the establishment and early implementation of the stage one services
• the program’s integration within and enhancement of existing service systems, from the perspective of provider agencies and key stakeholders.

Contact us for further information about the evaluation.

A summary of this report is published on the Department of Health and Human Services website.