Moorabool’s bereaved parents may be set to receive more support after council moved on looking into the establishment of a bereaved parents support group.
The motion was brought to the 4 February council meeting by Cr Sheila Freeman and calls for a report into the potential creation of a non-clinical, community-based peer support program for parents who have experienced perinatal loss, including miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal death.
The proposal was informed by a detailed submission from a local mother, social worker and parent advocate with lived experience of perinatal loss, the motion noted.
The submission recommends a trauma-informed, peer-led support group overseen by the Enhanced Maternal and Child Health program and delivered in partnership with an experienced specialist organisation.
Cr Freeman said rates of stillbirth were poorly aligned with support systems for families suffering.
“Perinatal loss affects a significant number of families every year, yet many parents are not routinely connected with ongoing support once they leave hospital. National data indicates that the rate of stillbirth in Australia has not decreased over the past two decades,” she said.
“Parents experiencing perinatal loss face an elevated risk of trauma, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicide. While clinical care is typically provided at the time of a loss, evidence indicates that many bereaved parents are not routinely linked with ongoing support.”
The report is set to explore a range of considerations, including possible delivery models, partnerships with specialist not-for-profit organisations, governance and safeguarding requirements, anticipated demand, eligibility criteria and any resourcing or financial implications for council.
It would also examine whether council facilities could be made available at no cost through identifying external grant funding opportunities.
Cr Freeman pointed out the success of a former support program operating within the shire.
“This group provided connection, validation, and support for bereaved parents, but ceased following staff changes and the absence of formal program resourcing,” she said.
“While hospital-based clinical care is available at the time of loss, evidence indicates a gap in ongoing, non-clinical and community-based support, particularly in peri-regional municipalities such as Moorabool Shire.”
