For Baby’s Sake Program Launches in Ballarat

In an Australian first, the "For Baby's Sake" program, which supports parents, including fathers, both before and after birth to recognise the impact of family violence and break intergenerational cycles of harm, is set to commence in Ballarat.

Minister for Prevention of Family Violence Melissa Horne announced $400,000 for Ballarat Child and Family Services (CAFS) to run the program as part of Respect Ballarat, a community approach to preventing gendered violence.

Cafs will also invest in this pilot program as it sits perfectly within their trauma-responsive care model - TBRI. Looking to the horizon, Cafs is keen to seek support to upscale the program to other locations.

For Baby’s Sake, developed and delivered by UK-based charity, The For Baby’s Sake Trust, is an evidence-based, early intervention model designed to reduce the impact of family violence before and after birth. The program aims to break intergenerational cycles of harm by addressing trauma, the gendered drivers of violence, infant mental health, and parenting.

The program employs a two-generation approach, delivering intensive therapeutic interventions to support co-parents, including fathers, and children aged 0–2 years who have experienced family violence by intervening during the first 1,000 days, when both neurodevelopmental impact and parental motivation for change are at their peak.

A 4-year independent evaluation by Kings College and recent results from the For Baby’s Sake Impact Report 2025 (UK) highlight significant outcomes:

• 95% of babies reached or exceeded key milestones for communication and social-emotional development by six months.
• The percentage of babies involved in court proceedings reduced from 37% to 17%.
• The percentage of families receiving support from children’s social care dropped from 98% to 38% upon exit from the program.
• Physical abuse was reduced in 72% of families.
• Sexual abuse was reduced in 80% of families.

This robust evidence base demonstrates the program’s effectiveness and impact in breaking intergenerational cycles of harm by tackling the cycle of family violence intervening early and placing children at the centre of its response. It builds upon Respect Victoria’s focus on new parents, particularly fathers, in addressing the gendered drivers of family violence.

Wendy Sturgess, CEO Cafs said- “As a community we need to build a suite of early intervention services that support parents especially fathers to break cycles of family violence and build healthy positive relationships with their children to give them the best start in life. This program will give us that chance."

Lauren Seager-Smith, CEO The For Baby’s Sake Trust said- “We are thrilled that Cafs are piloting delivery of For Baby’s Sake with families in Ballarat. Having delivered the programme to families impacted by intergenerational violence and abuse for over 10 years in the UK, we know it can lead to profound change in families’ lives. We look forward to sharing the learning, and working in partnership to impact many young lives for generations to come.”

You can find out more about the UK For Baby's Sake program on their website here.