Australia Wide Service Directory
Here you will find an extensive directory of other bereavement support services available across the nation. We hope to take the time and energy out of you having to search for relevant pregnancy & infant loss Support Services by providing one quick easy to access informative directory. Giving you back some time and energy to focus on your own grieving and healing. The program also provides many support services for you.
If you would like to be listed on this directory or know of an organisation to be listed please let us know.
National Pregnancy & Infant Loss Organisations
Research and Advocacy
Online Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support Groups
National Pregnancy & Infant Loss Organisations
The Stillbirth Foundation Australia
The Stillbirth Foundation works to reduce the incidence of stillbirth in Australia. To achieve this goal, the Stillbirth Foundation operates with the aims to fund and encourage research into stillbirth; and increase public awareness about stillbirth. Whilst The stillbirth Foundation is not a bereavement support program they are a leading research organisation striving to reduce the incidences of stillbirth.
The Stillbirth Foundation have launched a Stella bear for sale. All proceeds from the sale of a stella bear go to the stillbirth Foundation into researching stillbirth.
Many families are purchasing a Stella Bear and donating the bear to PLA.
phone: 02 9967 3229
please click here to find out more about how PLA & the Stillbirth Foundation work collaboratively to make a difference for bereaved families.
Bonnie Babes Foundation
The Bonnie Babes Foundation helps to save babies lives and counsel families through this extreme hardship. All proceeds the Foundation raises are for vital medical research projects, and for our 24 hour, 7 day per week family counselling services which support families with seriously ill babies and infants with childhood illnesses.
please click here to find out more about the Bonnie Babes Small Miracle Book. This wonderful book makes mention to our program.
SIDS AND KIDS
SIDS and Kids is dedicated to saving the lives of babies and children during pregnancy, birth, infancy and childhood and to supporting bereaved families.We deliver on our vision through world class research; evidence based education and bereavement support; and advocacy.
phone: 1300 308 307
SANDS Australia
SANDS is there promoting awareness, knowledge, support and understanding following the death of a baby from the time of conception through to infancy.
phone: (03) 9899 0217
Compassionate Friends Australia
TCF is part of world-wide self-help organisation offering friendship and understanding to bereaved parents, siblings and grand-parents. We offer friendship and understanding to families who are grieving the death of a child of any age, from any cause. All bereaved family members are welcome.
Access to Allied Psychological Services (ATAPS)
ATAPS enables GPs under the Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care (BOiMHC) program to refer consumers to allied health professionals who deliver focussed psychological strategies
Talk to your doctor / GP about acccessing (ATAPS) or other local bereavement support services
Research & Advocacy
Stillbirth Foundation
ANZSA - Australian & New Zealand Stillbirth Alliance
Stillbirth Alliance
PILARI - Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness & Institute
Statistics
Pregnancy Outcome Statistics Unit
Australian Bureau of Statistics
Articles
Better Support for Women with Post And Antenatal Depression
Coronial Jurisdiction for Stillborn Babies
Myf's daughter Polly joined other angel babies on the 29th December 2009. Sadly there was some human involvement in Polly's death. In looking into avenues for investigating the death of her baby girl, and seeking to ensure something similar didn't happen in the future, Myf discovered that the Coroner's Court could not look into any deaths in utero; that is, any death of a stillborn child. She, like us at TLC, couldn't work out why, if a death needed to be investigated and situations improved to save babies, it couldn't, merely because the child who died had not taken a breath. She decided to set up the following petition, and we all seek your support: Petitions are only as good as the numbers of people supporting them!
Please support an important change to the jurisdiction of the Coroner's Court so that stillborn children can, if the situation warrants, be investigated.
Sign our Online Petition at 'Coronial Jurisdiction for still-born Babies' at: http://www.gopetition.com.au/online/34715.html
Please also consider passing this link on
The Coroner’s Court cannot now look into any death the death of a stillborn child.
At present, no matter the circumstances or gestational age, a baby in one moment is not eligible for a Coronial inquest and, a moment later (once a breath is taken), he or she is. In terms of its impact, and community concern, there is little difference between the death of a baby that is entirely out of its mother’s body and has drawn their first breath and that of a baby that is capable of independent life but has not yet taken a breath. During a case in the US the Judge observed:
“There is not much change in the child itself between a moment before and a moment after it expulsion from the body of its mother, and normally, while still dependent on its mother, the child, for some time before its born, has not only the possibility but a strong probability of an ability to live an independent life.”
This arbitrary line of demarcation, however, is the current one.
There is no equivalent process or organization to the Coroner’s Court for stillborn babies. No other organization has its equivalent in resources, experience and expertise in pathology and investigation as does the Coroner’s Court. No investigatory process draws equivalent media attention, as great public awareness or has similar transparency. It is the institution that shines light on deaths of an unusual or concerning nature and recommends changes so these events don’t happen in the future.
Importantly, the number of stillbirth deaths has not changed, despite improvement in medical practice and technology, since the 1980s. And 30-35% of babies born still are said to have died of ‘causes unknown’. The Coroner’s Court can potentially help understand these deaths, draw public attention to these deaths and ultimately motivate change. So we seek a change to the Coroner’s Act so that these babies’ deaths can be under the jurisdiction of the Coroner’s Court.
For more information read the 'reasons for Petition' at the Petition's website (link above) and/or visit the Coroner's Court of SA at http://www.courts.sa.gov.au/courts/coroner/index.html
Click Here to see Media Article Sunday Mail March 28th, 2010
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South Australia
SAFDA.......Support After Fetal Diagnosis of Abnormality
Providing support for parents who loved their children enough to set them free.
email
phone: Julieanne: 8278 3317 or Anne: 8161 7375
Anglicare Loss & Grief Centre
Anglicare's Loss and Grief Centre offers creative services for people experiencing grief from all kinds of losses.
The Centre is run in partnership with Flinders University. It offers services for people dealing with loss, education for students and practitioners working in the field, and opportunities for research.
website
phone: 8301 4200
Star Bear
The Star Bear program was established in 1999 and is a non-profit program for the children of South Australia.The star bear program is for children aged 5-13 who are grieving the death of a parent, sibling, carer or other significant person.
phone: 8301 4208
Alfred James Bereavement Education Services
Courses are designed for people working with others in grief, for people who have experienced loss and wish to better manage their grief and for students who wish to supplement their related studies. A certificate of attendance and participation will be awarded at the completion of the course. Courses may be cancelled if an adequate number of applications is not received a week before the starting date.
Ann van der Zwaag
phone: 8371 1009
Compassionate Friends South Australia Chapter
The Compassionate Friends (SA) Inc. is part of a world-wide organisation offering friendship and understanding to families following the death of a son or daughter, brother or sister. TCF offers support in the grief and trauma which follows the death of a child at any age and from any cause
phone: 08 8351 0344
SA Community Health Centres
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Victoria
The Compassionate Friends Victoria
The Compassionate Friends Victoria Inc. is part of a world-wide organisation offering friendship and understanding to families following the death of a son or daughter, brother or sister. TCF offers support in the grief and trauma which follows the death of a child at any age and from any cause
Bonnie Babes Grief counselling support group - Werribee, VIC
This support group is facilitated by one of the Bonnie Babes Foundation's volunteer grief counsellors, Kerry Batstone. For any queries you can contact the Bonnie Babes Foundation
phone: 03 9803 1800
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New South Wales / ACT
The Compassionate Friends New South Wales
Welcome to the home page of The Compassionate Friends New South Wales Inc. - TCF NSW. This site will give you an insight into our Organisation and activities. If you are a bereaved parent, sibling or grand-parent, we hope that it will provide you with information about where and when you may contact us and perhaps encourage you to come along to one of our Sharing Meetings or contact one of our Chapter Leaders.
Bereavement Care Centre
The Bereavement Care Centre offers complete bereavement care services including bereavement counselling, educational courses, educational books & DVDs and information for bereaved adults and children
SIDS & KIDS bereavement support groups held in NSW
including West Mead, Liverpool, RPA,
The Northern Rivers Support Group- Lismore
Buds & Blooms
Is an informal support group which provides opportunity for families to meet other bereaved families and have a cuppa (free of charge). The group is open to anyone who has experienced loss through miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal or infant death. A social Worker is present to provide support.
Date: 2nd Friday of the month
Time: 10am-12pm
Venue: Level 3, Tutorial Room (directly behind the lift) South Block, Nepean Hospital
Contact: Nepean Hospital
Illawarra Parents of Angel Babys
Remembering Our Babies Support Group
NSW Community Health Centres
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Queensland
The Compassionate Friends Queensland Brisbane Chapter
The Compassionate Friends is a self-help support organization for bereaved parents, siblings and grandparents. We offer friendship and understanding to families who are grieving the death of a child of any age, from any cause. All bereaved family members are welcome.
SIDS and Kids Queensland
Provide bereavement support to any family or person in Queensland who has been affected by the sudden and unexpected death of a child, from 20 weeks gestation up to the age of six, regardless of cause. SIDS and Kids Queensland promote and deliver education programs designed to reduce infant mortality and assist in funding life-saving research into infant mortality
website
Paradise Kids
Through Paradise Kids, Hopewell's services have been extended to children, young people and their parents in dealing with experiences of grief, loss and illness. Since 1996, when the first Paradise Kids group was organised, various programs have been developed. Many children, young people and adults have participated in Grief and Loss Support Groups, Boys Groups and Early Childhood Play Groups, as well as having the benefit of personal counselling
Bonnie Babes Support Group - Brisbane
Phone: Barbara (07) 3353 6285
Support Group - Gold Coast - Queensland
This support group consists of families who have lost a baby at various stages of pregnancy, so everyone is welcome. For information, ring Debbie
phone: 07 5607 0834 or 0430 347 773
Support Group Gladstone - Queensland
This group welcomes any families who have lost a baby at various stages of pregnancy. For details of meetings please contact Susan Townsend
Phone: (07) 4978 1640
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Western Australia
The Compassionate Friends of Western Australia
We offer friendship and understanding to families who are grieving the death of a child, of any age, from any cause. We also offer support and information to relatives, friends and professionals who are helping a family. Please contact us if you would like a grief pack posted out.
SIDS and Kids Western Australia
Is a community-based organisation that had its beginnings as a mutual support group for bereaved SIDS parents and families during the 1970s. By 1979 this small self-help group had grown, and the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Foundation was incorporated.
At the same time the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Support group (SANDS) had formed, and this group offered support to those families who had suffered the loss of a baby through miscarriage, stillbirth, or neonatal death.
Both groups operated separately for several years, until in 2000 it was recognised that these two very special bereavement support organisations could benefit mutually by merging, and so the SIDS Foundation and SANDS became SIDS and Kids.
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Tasmania
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Northern Territory
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Online Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support Groups
Birth
Australia's premier website for pregnancy birth and parenting information
website
Essential Baby
website
Belly Belly
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Multiple Birth
Multiple Birth Association
Twin To Twin Transfusion Syndrome Foundation
Solely dedicated to providing immediate and lifesaving educational, emotional and financial support to families, medical professionals, and other caregivers before, during, and after a diagnosis of twin to twin transfusion syndrome
website
OzMost
Aussie Mums of surviving twins support group
phone: 0408 977991
National Twin Loss Support
Bereavement Support for families who experience twin loss. Based in Murray Bridge South Australia.
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Telephone Support
Life Line
phone: 13 11 44
Mens Line
phone: 1300 78 99 78
Kids Line
phone: 1800 55 1800
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Depression
Beyond Blue
Australian organisation provides information about depression to consumers, carers and health professionals
phone: 1300 22 4636
The Black Dog Institute
Is a not-for-profit, educational, research, clinical and community-oriented facility offering specialist expertise in depression and bipolar disorder
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Mental Health
GROW
A national community mental health organisation offering
a) support groups for adults with mental health issues,
b) supported accommodation in Canberra and Brisbane and
c) residential rehabilitation for those with a dual diagnosis of drug addiction and mental illness in West Hoxton just outside Liverpool.
Contact: national@grow.net.au
Website: grow.net.au
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Premature Birth
Miracle Babies
Miracle Babies mission is to provide support to families throughout Australia during their journey through a Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU), the transition to home and onwards.
We provide emotional and practical support to families through hospital visits, newsletters, an online forum, playgroups, a 1300 phone number and an annual picnic. Miracle Babies can provide the structure and guidance for parents of miracle babies to set up their own support group in their local area.
phone: 1300 773 664
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Links
The National Pregnancy Outcome Statistics Unit
The Unit undertakes a Statewide monitoring of pregnancy characteristics and outcomes, obstetric problems and characteristics of perinatal care, to identify those population groups most at risk so that preventive interventions can be directed accordingly. This is undertaken through its data collections.
Kadens Bill
Fiona Peters and Craig Redriff son ~Kaden~ was stillborn on the 26th March 2007. ~Kaden~ was born at approximately 17weeks gestation. He was delivered in Northern Territory and government legislation deems that babies born pre 20 weeks gestation is not entitled to a birth or death certificate Fiona & Craig have taken their plight to their local government and are fighting hard and strong to make changes to the legislation.
Email: noana17@bigpond.net.au
Phone: 0417 885 510
Australian Charity of Child Photographers
The ACOCP is a volunteer organisation of child photographers from all over Australia who have come together to form an organisation dedicated to giving the gift of photographic memories to families that have experienced stillbirths, premature and ill infants and children in the Neonatal Intensive Care Units of their local hospitals, as well as children with serious and terminal illnesses.
Australian Action On Pre Eclampsia
Australian Action on Pre-eclampsia Inc. (AAPEC) is an association incorporated in Victoria. It is a voluntary organisation set up to provide support and information to families who have suffered from pre- eclampsia.
Phone: 61 3 9330 0441
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