Research continues to highlight the profound importance of the first 2000 days of a child’s life.

Micah Projects identified a unique opportunity to build a specialist team to support vulnerable high risk pregnant women and their unborn children to build healthy foundations to reduce the likelihood or extent of adverse experiences in childhood for their children. Micah Projects is a not - for-profit organisation, our mission is to respond to people who experience exclusion, poverty, injustice, and social isolation so that they may experience inclusion, economic wellbeing, justice, and connection within their community of choice.  

Micah Projects developed and implemented the Healthy and Safe Start Program to meet and nurture the gap within the first 2000 days of life for vulnerable children (an initiative funded by The Paul Ramsay Foundation, and Micah Projects).

Since conception of the program in February 2023, we have witnessed and walked alongside 108 families who obtained our holistic support within their perinatal stage of life. During this time, we have successfully linked families into antenatal and postnatal care, assisted with pathways to long term housing, and provided specialist domestic and family violence (DFV) support.

Our presentation will share how the Healthy and Safe Start Program has successfully supported vulnerable women and their families through pregnancy, post-partum and early childhood. Our presentation will showcase an approach which is tailored to individual participant needs including support for DFV, health and housing, and provide insights into the challenges we have faced and other needs we have identified to further enhance the outcomes we are achieving. Our future vision is to continue to nurture the gap within this space.