18th April 2016
No one knows better than Brianna* how hard it is to be a good parent. Growing up in out-of-home care, Brianna was short on parenting role models. By 17, she was pregnant with her first child, homeless, and had no money to buy even the essentials for her baby.
But Brianna was determined to do better for her son. Before her baby was born, she was referred to Anglicare Victoria’s Cradle to Kinder (C2K) program, where she received the advice and support she needed to look after him properly.
Her C2K case manager helped her with the emotional and practical preparation necessary for the arrival of her son. She has found secure housing, she now has her driver’s license, and she’s returned to education. 
Her son was recently diagnosed with autism. That news has brought fresh challenges, but day by day, and with the guidance of her C2K worker and her own grit, she remains positive and is giving her toddler the best start in life that she can.
The C2K program is an ante and postnatal support service that provides intensive family and early parenting assistance for vulnerable mothers and their children. The program is unique as it’s the only service to support the family from when their children are born, until they turn five.
The process is pretty simple; we get in early with intensive, preventative assistance for vulnerable families. Mothers identified as “at risk” are assigned a C2K worker to provide wrap-around support. Together with a multidisciplinary team, the worker provides on-going, practical help. This ranges from support with maintaining a healthy pregnancy, to targeted education around child development and parenting techniques, including sleeping, feeding and routines.
Most importantly, C2K workers develop a relationship with the family, building confidence and inspiring young parents to make positive decisions that benefit them and their children. Over the past year, Anglicare Victoria C2K workers have spent over 8,000 hours supporting 65 young families across Victoria in their efforts to break the cycle of disadvantage. Because when parents are doing a great job, everyone thrives.
*Please note: Names have been changed to protect client privacy.
