Pregnant women who become involved with child protection services often experience fear, mistrust and stigma, leading some to avoid health and support services altogether, new Griffith University research has found.
PhD Candidate Rebecca Wren from Griffith’s School of Allied Health, Sport and Social Work examined existing research and what it revealed about the lived experience of women who engaged with child protection while pregnant.
There is limited evidence on lived experiences of prenatal child protection amidst growing international concern for the consistently high number of infants being removed from their families.
“Being pregnant can be a vulnerable time for women, and many are experiencing complex challenges including trauma, family violence, poverty, substance abuse, mental health concerns, and housing insecurity,” Ms Wren said.
“They feel a sense of being judged, surveilled, and mistrust, causing many to avoid services for fear their child will be removed.
“Their feelings of mistrust are driven by unclear plans and broken promises as child protection can often focus on deficits and not women’s strengths, recovery and parenting potential.
“Unfortunately, a mother’s experience with trauma and domestic violence frequently goes unaddressed.”
The study identified missed opportunities for early intervention and support during pregnancy which could improve outcomes for the mother and her baby.
Co-author Professor Silke Meyer from Griffith’s Centre for Mental Health said: “It is important we see more trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and relationship-based approaches which prioritise both child safety and maternal well-being.”
“We need to break the cycle of disadvantage and reduce the rate of infant removal.”
The paper ‘Women’s experiences of child protection involvement during pregnancy: A scoping review’ has been published in Child and Youth Services Review.
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Silke Meyer
Rebecca Wren
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