Kids, Coffee and Connection

Background

Social support and connection are key determinants of mental health and wellbeing that enable people to feel valued, loved and cared for, to find solutions to problems, access emotional support and validate experiences (WHO, 2014). For mothers, access to peer support increases sense of belonging, decreases feelings of social isolation and facilitates positive mental health outcomes.

Women’s Health East (WHE) recently conducted a research project called Parenting in a Pandemic: Women’s Mental health and Wellbeing during COVID-19. The project gathered local women’s lived experience of being a new parent against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, to understand the impact on their mental health and wellbeing.

The research identified that many women who became parents over the course of the pandemic experienced increased feelings of loneliness and not being able to connect meaningfully with their friends and community.

Project

Based on the findings and recommendations from the research, WHE saw a need in the community for a placed based social connection opportunity for mothers of pre-schoolers, to enable them to connect with each other and their local community.

Kids Coffee and Connection: Bringing Mother’s Together is a Monash Community Grants Program funded project which facilitates social connections and community engagement opportunities for local mothers.

With the support of the Notting Hill Neighbourhood House, the Kids, Coffee and Connection group meets at the Neighbourhood House main hall every second Wednesday over a 10-week period for coffee, a social catch up, and an opportunity for children to play. The sessions also involve ‘guests’ from local services, which have included a Storytime session with a librarian from the Monash Library Services, and a children’s art session with a local artist and workshop facilitator.

Future

The project will be evaluated to determine the benefits of local social connection opportunities on the health and wellbeing of mothers with young children.

If you are interested in learning more about the Kids, Coffee and Connection project, or would like to explore running a similar initiative in your area, please contact Vanessa Czerniawski at Women’s Heath East.

Email: vczermniawski@whe.org.au