Babies Matter provides parents the confidence, competence, and a community of support to help lay the foundations for every child in need to be raised in a strong family.

Last week, we held an official launch event for our latest programme, Babies Matter, attended by Kids Matter partners, facilitators and friends as well as community members interested in supporting new and expectant parents in their respective contexts.

Babies Matter is a 6-week parenting programme for new and expectant parents who are facing disadvantages. Run by a trained peer facilitator, the programme aims to help parents to lay the foundations needed in order to raise their children in a strong family.

One in 10 new mothers experience postnatal depression, and the number of men who become depressed in the first year after becoming a dad is double that of the general population.  And connection, we know, can help parents as they welcome their new baby and begin to reduce some of the risks linked to family life when facing disadvantages. Interventions that help parents to tune into their baby and interpret what their baby is trying to tell them will support parents to respond to their children positively, which in turn strengthens the bond and attachment they have with them.

Babies Matter is designed to help create these connections, which will equip parents with confidence, competence, and a community of support, to help lay the foundations for every child in need to be raised in a strong family.

Our programme is unlike some traditional ante/postnatal support in that the emphasis isn’t just on how to look after a baby but rather takes a bigger picture look at the factors that will influence outcomes for that child, including the relationship between those actively involved in parenting, or ‘parenting teammates’ (this might be mum/dad, or for some of the parents it might be another relative who supports them, a grandparent who is particularly active in the baby’s life, or a good friend).

With this in mind, Babies Matter focuses on three areas of family life (‘baby’, ‘me’, and the ‘parenting team’), and has three core aims:

• For parents to increase their parental sensitivity in order to improve attachment and bonding.

• Improve parental wellbeing.

• Strengthen the parenting teammate relationships.

If Babies Matter can achieve these three aims, this can give young children the best opportunities to thrive in childhood and later in life.

“Babies Matter has helped me to understand my baby better, it’s helped me in my relationship with my partner, and has helped me understand things in the crazy world that is becoming a new mum.”

Jasmin, mum

We were encouraged to see all those who attended the milestone launch of Babies Matter, and to know that there are many who share in our vision to help new and expectant parents to lay the foundations for raising their children in a strong family. This programme will only be as successful as the churches, organisations, and facilitators who take the leap and choose to run it.

If you would like to find out more about running a Babies Matter group in your local community, please contact us on partnership@kidsmatter.org.uk