Emily and Jeff* joined our Resilient Families program when Emily was pregnant with their third child.

Due to a history of drug misuse and domestic violence, their two older children had been placed in foster care, so they wanted to work with us to learn how create a safer, more supportive environment for their new baby.

One of our Resilient Families case workers spoke with the couple about their goals. Along with addressing the drug misuse and domestic violence issues, Emily and Jeff agreed to use an infant simulator doll called Baby Ray to help assess their parenting capacity and highlight any areas where they might be able to change their behaviours.

The Baby Ray project

Baby Ray helps expecting parents to understand the challenges associated with caring for a baby. With all the characteristics of a ‘real’ baby, Ray collects data on whether he has been fed and burped, whether he has been shaken, his head has been bumped, his clothes have been changed and even whether the parents have been able to respond to his cues. These data are captured and transmitted in real-time via wireless software to a case manager’s computer.

Emily and Jeff took Baby Ray home with them for a weekend. During the course of the trial period they learnt Baby Ray’s routine and started to predict his needs and wants. The exercise also put the couple under pressure through a lack of sleep and added stress. This pushed their relationship at times but helped them learn how to communicate without blame and support each other when they were tired. The couple negotiated their parenting roles and commented that it was a good exercise for them to undertake prior to the baby’s arrival. At the end of the trial period, Emily and Jeff rated an encouraging 95% with their care of Baby Ray.

After the trial period, Emily and Jeff rated an encouraging 95% with their care of Baby Ray

Strategies and areas to look at moving forward

The main advantage of Baby Ray is that he captures impartial and accurate data, so he allows for a very open and honest conversation between our case worker and the couple. They are able to look at any concerns and address them together, and then the couple can take what they have learnt and put it into practice as they prepare for the arrival of their new baby.

In addition to the findings from their time with Baby Ray, our case worker was also able to talk to Emily and Jeff about how they manage conflict and stress in the home, giving them information and strategies to follow so it does not escalate into a domestic violence situation.

Emily and Jeff found their conversations with our case worker to be invaluable. As a result of their participation in the Resilient Families program, they have already taken these strategies and started putting them into practice at home.

*Names and image have been changed to protect members of the family