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Maxxine Wright Place Project for High Risk Pregnant and Early Parenting Women

Introduction

This project will serve "at risk" women/girls who may also put their fetuses/ young children at risk due to their struggles with substance use, mental health diagnoses, experiences of violence/abuse, and reluctance in seeking medical attention/support services. Support staff will work with mothers to provide comprehensive women-centered care and support. Based on the recommendations of an action research project currently being conducted, the centre may include a pre-natal clinic, an emergency day care, community kitchen and transitional housing for pregnant women who are homeless, and second-stage housing for women who face additional barriers (substance use, sex work, poverty) to living independent of violence/abuse.

The facility will be named after Maxxine Wright, a woman who faced many of the issues and barriers this program has been created to address. She fled an abusive relationship and came to one of Atira's transition houses just over 10 years ago, when her son was less than three months old. With the help of resources that focused on and supported her strengths, she was able to begin to make positive changes in her life. Sadly, Maxxine died of breast cancer on July 27th, 2002, leaving behind her son who marked his 10th birthday that same day. Her memory will be honoured as will her son and extended family, by creating a facility that will work to keep other women who are marginalized and their children safe, and will help ensure they have access to respectful health care, childcare, parenting support, and opportunities to become actively and meaningfully involved in community life.

There are a number of community partners involved in the development of this project including: Atira Women's Resource Society, South Fraser Community Services Society, Surrey Aboriginal Cultural Society, Options: Services to Communities, the Ministry for Children and Family Development, the Fraser Health Authority including Surrey Memorial Hospital and public health/public nursing.

PROJECT SPECIFICS

Services for high-risk infants may include routine medical care, assessment and diagnosis for development delays (often associated with prenatal drug or alcohol exposure, poverty, neglect and/or abuse); referrals to infant development, speech therapy, etc. In addition to providing services to infants and children, this program may provide prenatal care, drug and alcohol counseling, support and referrals for the mothers of these high risk children and other high risk pregnant women. The facility may also incorporate an emergency day care, community kitchen and transitional and second-stage housing for women and their children.

Pregnant high-risk women include women in unstable living situations, who have low levels of social support, histories of violence and sexual exploitation, use/misuse of alcohol and other drugs, unplanned pregnancies and mental health issues. These women typically do not access prenatal care through traditional programs or clinics during their pregnancies due to the stigma, shame and/or guilt associated with their substance use, mental health issues, homelessness or for fear of losing custody of their children to the Ministry for Children and Family Development or because their partners or extended families will not allow it.

This program will be informed by the Sheway Project, which was established in 1993 in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside (DTES). Sheway provides a holistic, culturally sensitive and woman-centred approach in service delivery to pregnant and parenting women living in the DTES. A recent evaluation by the Centre of Excellence for Women's Health reports that Sheway has engaged women in accessing prenatal and postnatal care, made significant improvements in their nutritional status, improved their housing situation, and increased the number of children born with healthy birth weights (see the Sheway Report).

Surrey is the second fastest growing city in Canada. One of the outcomes of this phenomenal growth is an increase in the incidence of substance use, mental illness, violence and sex work. The Whalley neighbourhood is fast becoming known as "Surrey's Downtown Eastside". While the Surrey high risk pregnancy and early parenting project will address issues and needs similar to those of the Sheway Project, it is important that it also recognizes the ways in which the South Fraser community is distinct. Thus, we have contracted with a participatory action researcher to develop a community-specific, women-centered model of care.

The objectives and measurable outcomes of the project include:

OBJECTIVES

Promote healthy birth outcomes;
Promote healthy early child development, learning and increase in school readiness;
Support women, children and their families;
Build partnerships between funding agencies such as the United Way, Fraser Health Authority and Fraser Region and MCFD;
Increase collaboration between service providers in the Surrey area;
Advocate on issues affecting high-risk children, pregnant and parenting women.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES

Increase in the number of high risk women receiving prenatal and postnatal care;
Increase in the number of children born with healthy birth weights;
Improvement in the developmental outcomes for high risk children;
Improvement in the nutritional status of high risk children, pregnant and parenting women;
Improvement in the housing situation for high risk children, pregnant and parenting women;
Decrease in substance use in pregnant and parenting women;
Improved parenting outcomes; and
Decrease in rates of child apprehension by MCFD.

EVALUATION PLAN

Program evaluation for this project will be modeled on the evaluation done on the Sheway Project by Nancy Poole from the BC Centre of Excellence in Women's Health in fall 2000. A database will be established at the outset of the program in order to collect data regarding the various outcomes described above and yearly reports will be made available.

For more information, contact Janice Abbott

The following is a report of the project.

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