Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Outreach Program
Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies is an outreach program for pregnant women experiencing challenges that may impact the health, social, and emotional wellbeing of themselves, their unborn baby or their family.
We accept referrals up to 36 weeks gestation for women who need support to engage in antenatal care (pregnancy care) or access other support services as required.
The program supports women during pregnancy and until their baby is six to eight weeks old, and they are linked with Maternal and Child Health Services.
The Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Program is not a clinical antenatal care service. It quickly links women to existing services, including child health, counselling, dental, allied health programs, and other community support services. HMHB provides community-based support and promotes continuity of care.
HMHB can support pregnant women who may be experiencing challenges including:
- family violence
- homelessness/housing instability
- drug and alcohol use
- social and financial isolation
- women living with complex health and/or disability
- mental health
- young women with pregnancy concerns
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women with pregnancy concerns
- Migrants, refugees or asylum seekers with pregnancy concerns
What we do
HMHB provides outreach support to vulnerable pregnant women to improve health outcomes for themselves and their babies. Our workers can visit you in your home or in the community. We can also accompany and support you in accessing and attending antenatal services. HMHB will work alongside you to create a tailored and holistic goal-setting plan that supports your individual needs. We provide support and advocacy for:
- accessing pregnancy care
- birth education
- preparing for the baby’s arrival and support accessing baby items
- access and referral to other relevant services that mother or baby may need
- breastfeeding and lactation support
- early parenting education and support
- Centrelink payments
The Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies team:
- can visit clients in their homes or in the community
- can accompany and support clients accessing and attending antenatal services
- work alongside clients to create a tailored and holistic goal-setting plan that supports individual needs.
Eligibility Criteria
This service is for pregnant women up to 36 weeks gestation who study, live or work in the City of Greater Dandenong, City of Casey or Cardinia Shire.
How to refer
Anyone can refer to Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies with the pregnant woman’s consent. This can include:
- the pregnant woman herself
- family and/or community members
- health and community professionals
Referrals can be made by calling or emailing:
T: (03) 8572 5631 (Option 3 )
E: referrals.childandfamily@monashhealth.org
or by using the referral form options here:
Service contact details:
Service Enquiries: 03 8558 9000
Service Enquiries email: healthymothershealthybabiesprogram@monashhealth.org
Contact hours: 8.30am – 4.30pm, Monday to Friday (except public holidays)
Locations
The main HMHB site is located at Springvale, but we can see clients at any Monash Health site.
Please review the eligibility criteria before submitting a referral.