New Parents, New Possibilities: Family Violence Prevention for LGBTIQ+ Parented Families
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Overview and Final Report
The transition to parenthood is recognised as a period of high risk for the onset of family violence in heterosexual relationships. It is also known that family violence, including intimate partner violence, occurs in LGBTIQ+ relationships. There are significant knowledge gaps in the understanding of family violence risk during the transition to parenthood for LGBTIQ+ parents and strategies to prevent family violence for LGBTIQ+ communities. The New Parents, New Possibilities project aims to address these gaps in knowledge, building an evidence base around specific domestic and family violence risk and protective factors during the transition to parenthood for LGBTIQ+ parents. Led by drummond street’s Centre for Family Research and Evaluation and funded by Respect Victoria, the project used a co-production methodology to engage with LGBTIQ+ parents and perinatal service providers in the research, design and piloting of family violence primary prevention initiatives. The final suite of primary prevention initiatives, informed by the research findings and co-developed with a diverse range of stakeholders, include resources for the perinatal sector, LGBTIQ+ parents, and for family and community. View the Final Report by clicking the image above or the link below: New Parents, New Possibilities- Final Report.
Perinatal Sector resources
These new and prospective resources aim to address gaps in practice-level skills and understanding, as well as organisation-wide recognition of LGBTIQ+ people, families and LGBTIQ+ family violence within the perinatal sector. These resources are designed for reproductive services, midwives and birthing hospitals, maternal and child health services and other community and health agencies working with families during the transition to parenthood.
Perinatal Sector Training
The Perinatal Sector Training aims to address gaps in practice-level skills and understanding of LGBTIQ+ people, families and LGBTIQ+ family violence within the perinatal service sector. The training promotes reflection on and discussion of LGBTIQ+ language and concepts, family forms and pathways to parenthood and highlights key findings from this research. CFRE offers a half-day training seminar of 2.5–3 hours which involves (1) participant pre-reading of a suite interactive case studies, designed to prompt thinking around the sessions’ aims and objectives and (2) an online group, interactive session, conducted via Zoom. This training can be tailored to meet the specific needs of organisations. To enquire about our sector training contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Webinar Series
A series of four webinars were developed to build on the original sector training to enable professional development for those who are unable to commit to group training. The four part series consists of 30 minute modules: Part I of the series, LGBTIQ+ Family Formation and Reflective Practice, serves to introduce the subject matter and focusses on understanding and awareness of how LGBTIQ+ people create their families, and what inclusive practice might look like within perinatal service delivery. Part II, Approaching Risk Assessment with Curiosity and Responsiveness, introduces risk factors for family violence in LGBTIQ+ people’s transition to parenthood, and builds knowledge amongst practitioners to address these in their work. Part III, Referral Pathways and Whole of Service System Responsibility, highlights signs or indicators clients may need help. This session aims to build accountability and support through improved collaboration within the service system. Part IV, Primary Prevention: Considering Policies, Representation and Partnerships, aims to conceptualise organisational and system level changes that could enable implementation of an intersectional framework across the service system. Click below to view the webinar: Perinatal Sector Webinar Series.
Interactive Case Studies
Interactive case studies were developed to illustrate diverse examples of the transition to parenthood for LGBTIQ+ parents. The case studies bring the research findings to life, highlighting not only the diversity within LGBTIQ+ families and diverse pathways to family formation but also the key risk and protective factors identified through the research. View the case studies below: Interactive Case Studies.
Sector Booklet
The New Parents, New Possibilities Perinatal Sector Booklet is designed to sit alongside the seminar/webinar series and to exist as a standalone resource for perinatal service providers. This resource provides a summary of the research findings relevant to the perinatal sector, as well as primary prevention practice tips for organisations and practitioners. The booklet also provides an overview of some key strengths of LGBTIQ+ parents, reflections on positive service experiences, as well as a resource list of LGBTIQ+ and universal services for families in Victoria. Click the image above or the link below to download the sector booklet: New Parents, New Possibilities- Perinatal Sector Booklet.