Explore the Research on the DSSP
A written report. A short film. A story worth telling.
In partnership with Associate Professor Jessica Liddell (University of Montana School of Social Work) and Associate Professor Sarah Ireland (Molly Wardaguga Research Institute, First Nations Birth Rights, Charles Darwin University) and their teams, we've dug deep into the real, measurable impact of our postnatal doula model.
The results are in — and they're powerful. Here, we share the findings in a written report and a short film, alongside photos from the launch of this game-changing research.
The Film:
In this powerful short documentary, researchers Jessica Liddell and Sarah Ireland go inside a groundbreaking Australian postpartum doula support program — built for families identified by Child Protection Services as high-risk and navigating complex needs.
Filmed on Gadigal Country, Sydney, this film brings you unfiltered insight straight from the program's founders, doulas, and the families themselves. It's a raw, honest look at what happens when intensive, trauma-informed, strengths-based support meets the most critical window in a family's life — the postpartum period. The result? Real, lasting change for babies, parents, and communities.
Our deepest gratitude to One20 Productions, Pat Josse (filming and editing), Professor Jessica Liddle and Associate Professor Sarah Ireland for their support and hard work in pulling all of this together and producing this for us
The Report:
Separating families at birth isn't just heartbreaking — it's costly. The evidence is clear: children, parents, and whole communities carry the emotional, social, and economic weight for years to come. Families in contact with child protection systems are too often caught in structural and social inequities that make consistent, relationship-based perinatal support hard to reach.
Since 2016, the Doula Support Solutions Program (formerly Groundwork) has partnered with child protection agencies to change that — delivering intensive, in-home doula support to women facing complex psychosocial challenges.
Built on a continuity-of-care model, the program walks alongside families from birth through early parenting — offering education, hands-on help, and real relational support. The goal: fewer child removals, stronger parenting, more stable families.
This mixed-methods evaluation combined hard program data with in-depth interviews from participants and stakeholders — measuring what matters most: parenting practices, maternal wellbeing, social support, and family safety outcomes.
Read the full report here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1m5fCUP2kzRsSHErTplWd0-2y6HbvJOo_/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=108607791596170128155&rtpof=true&sd=true
Watch the film here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1G85Nu34ZsL2JJ7eS1kLerUnW4zeD9Y3l/view?usp=drive_link
