The State Government is committing $2.8 million to an early intervention program helping young mothers break the cycle of long-term involvement in the child protection system.

The program, Breathing Space, has been successfully piloted with Centacare Catholic Family Services and offers support services to young mums, aged 25 and under, who have had one or more children removed from their care and who are at increased risk of repeated removals.

According to an evaluation of the pilot the Centre for Social Impact at Flinders University, Breathing Space has shown significant positive outcomes for disadvantaged young women.

Many of these women would otherwise fall through the gaps within the social safety net and face issues in other key life areas including housing, mental health, employment and community connections.

The evaluation found:
*  Young mothers who took part had stronger parenting skills and capacity, to the extent that a quarter were reunified with their children as a result of the program.
*  Improved parenting related to other improvements in the lives of participants, with all participants reporting improved quality of life generally.This included a stronger sense of self, greater resilience and coping skills and feeling empowered to make better decisions for themselves and their children.  
*All interviewed participants reported high levels of satisfaction with Breathing Space which resulted in high rates of engagement in the program. This level of engagement also had a significant impact on young mothers regaining trust of the service system and being supported to access housing assistance and mental health supports as well as other critical external services.
*  All interviewed participants reported that they had gained insight into their relationships and connections with others, and the skills to make improvements in this area.
*Breathing Space also benefits women, children and the community by reducing out of home care and child protection costs for government while keeping children with their parents, where they are likely to have better long-term outcomes.
Recognising the achievements of Breathing Space, the South Australian Government has dedicated the new funding to embed the service into its early intervention support services available to families.

Minister for Human Services Nat Cook says $2.8 million over the next six years will ensure eligible young women are able to access the service.

Referrals can be accepted from maternity hospitals, the Department for Child Protection, the Department of Human Services, self-referral and other NGOs .

Breathing Space operates in the Local Government Areas of Adelaide, Marion, Onkaparinga and part of Port Adelaide Enfield.

Quotes

Attributable to Nat Cook

Breathing Space is a therapeutic intervention that delivers holistic, wraparound supports for these young mums that aims to break the cycle of intergenerational involvement in the child protection system. It’s not only a program for today, it’s an investment in the future of our community.

Parenting is not easy, even without added intergenerational trauma and lack of resources. In particular, the service aims to help young women to address loss and grief, the effects of intergenerational trauma as well as strengthen their personal wellbeing and confidence.

Attributable to Centacare Catholic Family Services Executive Director Leanne Haddad

Centacare is privileged to walk alongside the young women through a very challenging period of their lives.

The loss and grief associated with the removal of a child is significant and compounds previous trauma.  

We are grateful for the opportunity to empower women through Breathing Space and enhance their parenting identities and quality of life.