Parent Support

Newborn Family Support 

The Newborn Family Support Team are a group of specialised neonatal intensive care and child & family health care nurses. They work in partnership with families during their time in the Newborn Care unit and their transition to home. 

The Newborn Family Support team help prepare infants and families for discharge and provide practical and emotional support for families after leaving Newborn Care. They offer workshops and parent groups, including fathers' groups which provide educational information and allows families to meet and share their experiences for mutual support. 

The Newborn Family Support team have a significant role after your stay with us at Newborn Care. To learn more about their discharge support, visit the After Your Stay page. 

Social Work 

The social worker provides emotional support, counselling and practical support to families during their baby's hospital stay.

You may feel a wide range of feelings after your baby is born and having your baby in Newborn Care can often intensify these feelings. Having a baby in an environment where they cannot be touched, held and fed in the same way as other babies is a difficult adjustment for families. It can be stressful and challenging to watch your baby undergo medical intervention. These feelings are a normal response to a very difficult and often unexpected situation. The social worker can assist parents to understand and normalise their feelings about what they are experiencing and can offer emotional support and counselling, and provide resources to support families. 

The social worker can also liaise with hospital staff, government departments, and community organisations on parents' behalf about difficulties they may be facing. They can offer assistance, information and advice for the many practical needs that parents will face when their baby is in the nursery, such as accommodation and travel expenses for families who reside outside of Sydney.

All families can speak with a social worker. If you would like to talk to a social worker, please ask the nurse caring for your baby to get in contact with social work. The social work service is available Monday - Friday, with an after-hours service available for crisis situations. 

Aboriginal Health Worker

Women's Health, Neonatology and Paediatrics has a dedicated Aboriginal Health Worker to support Aboriginal families through both the antenatal, neonatal and follow up process. This will be offered to Aboriginal families during admission.

Parent Talk

Parent meetings are held every Thursday in our Parents' Room and are facilitated by nursery staff. This is a way to meet other parents in the same situation, to share experiences, and provide mutual support. The group also provides education through discussions related to your baby's care. 

Tiny Star Beads 

The Stella Bella Tiny Star Beads program gifts families with a keepsake string of beads that tells their baby's story of their journey in Newborn Care. Parents collect different beads after each procedure or milestone that their baby has or achieves. The process also provides an opportunity for parents to debrief and reflect on their baby's journey.