£220,000 to improve support for new mothers
26 Jan 2015 01:10 PM
Funding of £220,000 to increase support for new mothers across Wales, has yesterday been announced by Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty, Lesley Griffiths.
Every Local Authority in Wales will receive £10,000 to provide Flying Start and Families First professionals with additional training to enable them to better help new and expectant mothers experiencing mental health problems.
Flying Start and Families First teams work closely with families to tackle child poverty and improve outcomes for families across Wales.
Yesterday's announcement follows feedback from staff, who were keen to further develop their skills so they could identify and support mothers experiencing mental health problems during the perinatal period, which extends from the start of the pregnancy until their child is one year old.
Perinatal mental health issues can have a serious impact on the mother's wellbeing and the child's development, as it can affect strong bonds from being formed.
Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty, Lesley Griffiths, said:
"Through our Families First and Flying Start programmes, professionals work closely with families to provide co-ordinated, tailored support, which is invaluable to many families and new mothers.
"The funding I have announced will build on the skills and knowledge of these professionals so they can spot the signs of perinatal mental health problems early and provide support to mothers when they need it most."
Welsh Government Chief Nursing Officer, Jean White, said yesterday:
"Perinatal mental health problems are more common than people think. For example post natal anxiety and depression can affect as many as 15-20% of mothers in the first year after child birth, and if no help and support is available it can cause real problems for the family. For this reason early intervention is absolutely crucial.
"Today's announcement will help ensure staff are able to identify these problems promptly, offer interventions, and where appropriate support mothers into specialist services."
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