This presentation will focus on the design and implementation of a pilot program aimed at keeping Aboriginal babies with their mothers, findings from the pilot evaluation and how the evaluation findings have shaped the next phase of program implementation.
The Bringing Up Aboriginal Babies at Home (BUABAH) pilot program, developed by the Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency (VACCA) and the University of Melbourne (UoM), is an Aboriginal-led systems change project intended to ensure Aboriginal infants are raised safe and strong in family, Community, and culture by creating a response capable of shifting underlying system factors.
Implemented in the Bayside Peninsula Area of Melbourne, the program supported seven pregnant women with complex needs over an 18-month evaluation period. Eligible participants included mothers identifying themselves or their unborn baby as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, who were less than 24 weeks pregnant, and residing in the area.
Aboriginal stakeholders in the area, including a mother with lived experience of infant removal, actively contributed to program design. Lived experiences and cultural knowledge were embedded into service delivery through cultural therapeutic interventions.
A dedicated BUABAH case manager provided individualised support, including care coordination, service navigation, and cultural therapeutic interventions. Additionally, the program offered perinatal cultural awareness training to local child protection and health service practitioners.
The program successfully prevented six out of seven Aboriginal babies from entering child protection care, allowing them to be discharged from the hospital with their mothers. The program evaluation undertaken by the UoM found that BUABAH was effective in preventing legal interventions and improving outcomes for Aboriginal babies and their mothers. The evaluation recommended continuing the program in the area and expanding it to other regions with service gaps for pregnant women at risk of a child protection report.
Building on the pilot’s achievements, the program is now being integrated into VACCA’s Family Services. VACCA has redesigned the program over nine months through workshops and consultations, refining the program’s blueprint, expanding referral pathways, and increasing team capacity. The program has expanded to two sites and an evaluation of the next phase of implementation is in planning stages.
Professor, Sarah Wise
The University of Melbourne
Professor Sarah Wise works in the Department of Social Work at the University of Melbourne. Sarah has worked in research-intensive roles in government, community, and higher education organisations for almost three decades. Her current research focuses on developing a knowledge base for Aboriginal protecting children, child protection in the perinatal period and community-based responses to children who accumulate adverse childhood experiences. Her birth family’s cultural background is Anglo-Celtic.
Maddison Licciardo
Family Services Practice Lead, VACCA
Maddison (Maddi) Licciardo is a proud Indigenous woman with extensive experience working within Aboriginal family, justice, and community services, and currently works as Team Leader for the Aboriginal Family Preservation and Reunification Response at VACCA. Maddi was instrumental in the delivery of the Bringing Up Aboriginal Babies at Home pilot program, leading case management functions as a practitioner.
Lorné Samuels
Statewide Practice Lead for Family Services, VACCA
Lorné Samuels was born in South Africa, Cape Town and moved to Australia with her family when she was 5 years old. She has worked at VACCA for the past 7 years and has been involved in in developing programs, reporting systems and Information Gathering Tools. She is currently the Statewide Practice Lead for Family Services having previously worked as a Team Leader for various programs including BUABAH (Bringing Up Aboriginal Babies at Home).
