McAuley: Supporting developmental milestones and the mother child bond in a family violence context

This program will see the integration of a Maternal and Child Health Nurse (MCHN) into McAuley’s custom-designed long term crisis accommodation for women and children who have experienced family violence. The MCHN will work directly with mothers with children prenatal to two years, to enhance parent-child relationships and support mothers with strategies for achieving parenting goals. Family violence can impact health and development for children, with the stress disrupting healthy brain, social and personality development. The trauma, lack of community and family support as well as the focus on sorting out things like legal matters, housing, financial issues means that often essential development of infants can take a back seat. This program aims to demonstrate how a short interaction can have significant long-term impact on the child’s development, and longer term, their readiness for school.