Young Mothers for Young Women (YMYW) is a peer support, education and advocacy service for young women under the age of 25 who are pregnant and parenting.

In 1994, a group of young women were involved in a participatory action research project that explored the links between gender and violence in the lives of young women.

One of the recommendations from this project was to form a network of young women to offer peer support, education and advocacy. This network formed and is known as YMYW, Young Mothers for Young Women. Previously YMYW has focused on Peer Support, Advocacy and Education.

The program has now gone through another evolutionary stage and now includes Family Support and an Early childhood program for young women under the age of 25 their partners and children.

The philosophy on which the model is based is to build on the strengths and capacity of the family to protect and care for their children in connection with professional services specific to their needs and culture. The service design includes facility based activities designed to meet the needs of children 0-5 and their parents. The program has both an early childhood and adolescent focus recognising the developmental needs of both parents as young people in transition to adulthood and the developmental needs of children during pregnancy, birth, first 12 months, toddlers and preschoolers.

The service comprises of a combination of components such as:

• Peer support and Peer Education including leadership training
• Case management for children and parents through proactive outreach strategies
• Group work for children and parents including Drop in Day and Supported Plagroups
• Peer education to promote social engagement and learning
• In home parenting support
• Information and Referral
• Linkages to mainstream services

YMYW works accross a range of issues facing young pregnant and parenting women in the community including child protection, risk of or recovering from homelessness, ongoing housing and tenancy support, family support as well as offering group work and adult learning strategies to link into education and training opportunities for the young women.

As part of the evolution of YMYW Services, we are proud to announce the new partnership between YMYW and the Mater Mothers Hospital. The Young Women's Partnership Program is a partnership that encompasses ante natal care, postnatal care and Education all based onsite at Butterfly Place and the new Caterpillar House. The services are offered by the Young Women's Group Practice Team and Young Women and Co which are specialist services offered by the Mater Mothers Hospital for young women who are under 21 years of age.

The benefits of the partnership are that:

• YMYW can engage with the young women at the earliest stage possible during their pregnancy to provide information, referrals and family support if requested
• The Mater Mothers Hospital Clinics can provide ante natal and post natal care in a relaxed community setting which is set up to accomodate young women and their families.
• The dual service approach will provide a well rounded series of information workshops as part of the community education program. The education will have a combination of health, pregnancy and birthing information as well as a focus on accessible community resources, healthy relationships and emothional changes

To learn more about the Young Women's Partnership Program contact either YMYW or the Mater Mothers Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland

The YMYW team is a diverse team of individuals with different strengths and experiences. The team comprises of a team leader/early childhood specialist, 2 parent advocates (family support workers), 1 information and referral worker, 1 in home parenting support worker and our 2 new peer workers. Below is a list of our workers, their roles and a few pieces of interesting information...

Name: Kate

Postion: Team Leader/ Early Childhood Specialist

What do you do: Try and contain the Motley Crue! General management of the program, supervision of the staff and once Caterpillar House is open, I'll be developing the early childhood programs for the children of our families.

What are you passionate about...social justice, music, Bernard Fanning, ice cream, my staffy, my ipod...

My blood boils when...people experience marginalization, for whatever reason. Can't we all just get along???

I dream...of being a backing vocalist for Powderfinger!!! Rock on!!!

NAME: Anna

POSITION: Information and Referral Worker

WHAT DO YOU DO: I provide information and referrals when requested over the phone or in person. I am also responsible for the supervision, mentoring and training of the new Peer Workers

I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT... allowing opportunities for young pregnant or parenting women to reach their full potential as meaningful participants in our community.

MY BLOOD BOILS WHEN... people are treated unfairly, people don't listen, people are rude and disrespectful to others, people who make judgements and assumptions when they don't have the full story... and the list goes on!

I DREAM... of the day when i can not have to work and be able to spend all my time focusing on my art - painting and creating is a way of life!!!

NAME: Katie

POSITON: Access and In home support worker (Maternity Leave)

WHAT DO YOU DO: A lot of driving! Also helping young women set up and prepare for a new baby and supporting them through the early stages and beyond of having a new baby in the house!

I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT...my family and seeing people, in particular children, have been treated inhumanely and unjustly.

I DREAM... vividly and talk in my sleep...lots!

The “Getting What You Want” Series of Peer Education Tools covers topics including Healthy Relationships, Parenting, Education, Employment and Training and Peer Facilitation Skills. These resources are designed by young women for young women. We recognize that peer support and advocacy is important in assisting young women in maintaining safe, healthy relationships and lifestyles.

RESOURCES

Getting What You Want: A Peer Guide to Parenting

Contains: 1 x Booklet

4 x Removable Tip Sheets (A5)

The “Getting What You Want: A Peer Guide to Parenting” is made up of a number of topics that we though would answer questions and address issues that young women can have in relation to parenting.

The Handbook can be read and thought about alone or groups of young women may like to use it as a guide for workshops around parenting- The sections titled ‘Something to think about” can be used as discussion questions.

Getting What You Want: A Peer Guide to Facilitating Workshops

Contains: 1 x Booklet

The “Getting What You Want: A Peer Guide to Facilitating Workshops” is designed to inform young women on ways of facilitating peer education programs. This booklet is intended to help young women with numerous topics including preparation, Setting the scene, and ways of encouraging group work and discussion. This booklet is designed to accompany the other booklets in the “Getting What You Want” series.

Getting What You Want: A Peer Guide to Healthy Relationships

Contains: 1 x Presenters Handbook

1 x Participants Workbook

The “Getting What You Want: A Peer Guide to Healthy Relationships” is the first in the series as it was first produced in 1998, it was aimed at promoting healthy relationships for young women and to provide info which assist young women to make informed choices in their relationships.

Getting What You Want: Pathways to Education, Employment and Training

Contains: 1 x Presenters Handbook

1 x Participants Diary

The “Getting What You Want: Pathways to Education, Employment and Training” is a group directed program focusing on creating pathways towards returning to either education, employment or training. This program has been designed with the aim of creating a training program acknowledging the needs and interests of young pregnant and parenting women, it is therefore flexible and easy to implement.

Getting What You Want: Extra Pack

Contains: 5 x Participants diaries

- Peer Guide to Healthy Relationships

OR

5 x Participants diaries

- Pathways to Education, employment

and training

OR

5 x Parenting Booklets

(containing Tip Sheets)

The “Getting What You Want: Extra Pack” is to provide flexibility for when running groups, where each participant will need a book. We suggest that workshops are run with a maximum of 10 participants.

Getting What you Want: Complete Pack

Contains: 1 x Peer guide to Parenting

4 x A5 Parenting tip sheets

1 x Peer guide to Facilitating

Workshops

1 x Peer Guide to Healthy

Relationships (Presenters)

1 x Peer Guide to Healthy

Relationships (Participants)

1 x Pathways to Education,

Employment and Training

(Presenters)

1 x Pathways to Education,

Employment and Training

(Participants)

Get a Copy of all the Booklets in the “Getting What You Want: Peer Education Series” in one go and save 10% on total cost.

To order any of the "Getting What You Want" Peer Education series contact YMYW...

THE WAY FORWARD

‘The Way Forward’ Report documents the Young Women’s Leadership Training and various advocacy projects that Young Mothers for Young Women have undertaken between November 2002 through to June 2005. This Report is still available.. so if you would like a copy feel free to email ymyw@merivale.org.au or call (07) 3013 6000 and we can send out a free copy (Australia Only)

Caterpillar House is Young Mothers for Young Women’s early childhood hub, located next to Butterfly Place in West End. The Hub, a renovated Queenslander, provides the appropriate facilities for YMYW to deliver its group work program for young women and their children. The space has been equipped with a developmentally appropriate playground and early childhood area, a young women’s group space and a clinic room for visiting health services.

The group work for young women and their children includes social support groups and drop in days, peer education workshops and opportunities and supported playgroups. We also have a child health nurse attend the drop in day fortnightly.

Caterpillar House is also home to the Young Mothers Partnership program (YMPP) which delivers antenatal care provided by the Mater Mothers Hospital to young women 20 years of age and under. As part of YMPP we have midwives and obstetricians operate from Caterpillar 1.5days a week, they also provide a young women’s social worker and antenatal nutrition and antenatal education classes.