There is flexibility to implement INFANT in a way that is best suited to your community context, partnerships and the resources available. To date, INFANT training has been offered across Victoria through support of the Victorian Department of Health, and at least 23 local governments are currently implementing INFANT.
Practitioner’s thoughts in implementation
We have provided some feedback from INFANT training participants about how they plan on implementing INFANT below:
Recruitment:
“Initially we will be aiming to enrol all new parents that attend First Time Parent Groups and for those who decline the FTPG sessions they can be offered (INFANT) during the normal MCH appointment.” – INFANT training participant.
Aligning with existing groups:
“Our plan is to run (INFANT) either in or before/after the supported playgroup… to engage this already vulnerable population, it also assists with problems around location and timing…” – INFANT training participant.
“…tuning into a group already established, like a playgroup, or community group. Finding the time and place can also be a challenge in our rural area to incorporate traveling and getting enough people to attend.” – INFANT training participant.
- Option: Review the case studies from several Victorian LGA’s that are implementing INFANT here
Adapting implementation strategies:
It is vital to consider how the program can be implemented in its entirety or if some parts may need to be adapted. Your thinking has probably evolved since you first started INFANT, and it’s important to continue a flexible and opportunistic approach, so you can adapt the program to your specific circumstances. This should be reflected in your implementation plan, which is required by each LGA running INFANT (one plan per LGA).
“I think that if we can take time to embed INFANT within existing programs and group deliveries, we will be able to achieve program longevity. It will be a matter of discussions with our organisation and linking it to our larger strategic plan.” – INFANT training participant.
Quick tip: The INFANT team provides implementation support for LGAs who are delivering INFANT, so please contact the team for any queries about your local implementation plan E: infant-study@deakin.edu.au
INFANT groups vs 1:1 with new parents
Feedback from areas currently running INFANT groups suggest that there may be cost savings long-term. These benefits can result from less additional MCH 1:1 appointments to address issues relating to infant feeding and peer-to-peer learning between parents.
- Option: Review the INFANT cost estimates summary here
There can also be immediate time-efficiency results for MCHN. The figure below shows INFANT group sessions can accommodate twice as many new families in 2.5 hours.
- An MCHN can offer 30-minute individual (1:1) appointments for new parents, seeing up to five families in 2.5 hours.
- This compares with an MCHN offering INFANT group, that can accommodate up to ten families in 2.5 hours (with 1.5 hour INFANT group session and allowing 30 min travel each way).
- Importantly, families attending the INFANT group session also have the additional benefits of interacting with other parents, including hearing questions and advice from other parents and making social connections.
Figure 1: Comparison of 1:1 appointments vs INFANT group program
Your task
Consider the current implementation of INFANT in your area and how INFANT can be sustained in your area. Have there been changes to implementation since it first started? e.g. different recruitment strategies, integration with other parenting groups etc.
Submit a comment below and read the feedback from others on this critical issue, even if you are still in the planning stages of local implementation. Click the ‘mark complete’ button once you’re ready, then select ‘next lesson’ for the next step.
From group to group and session to session there will always be variables in attendance we may not be able to control.
Seeking informal feedback from those that have not attended at the MCH consultation would be helpful anecdotal evidence. Gathering feedback from those attended about what worked well, why they attended etc is also helpful in planning
we are finding that now that we have been runnning infant for probably about 12 months now, that parents are actually eunquiring as to when the programs are run if they have missed the first session in the FPG. Word of mouth is working to our benefit.
Our FTPG educator and community health run the INFANT sessions, There have been good numbers so far – just starting. Community feed back will also influence the sessions and how they progress. Recruiting from the first INFANT session and the new booking in flyer will also help. Barriers include the many programs that have started ie sleep/settling, dad groups, FTPG, and staffing.
Recruiting for our program is generally via my attendance at the New Parent’s group, though I would definitely like to have more parent’s attend (hence starting informal visits to local playgroups to promote the program and aiming to have more formal but relaxed discussions about the INFANT key messages within these playgroup settings). While a deviation from the usual structure of the program, it is hoped that as well as having conversations with about the key messages within a different forum it may also increase awareness about the program and potentially increase attendance.
Since running all programs online during COVID, I have continued to offer attendance via Zoom as an option, and while it is difficult to negotiate some of the group onscreen and some in person it has definitely led to more numbers (as the mums that Zoomed would likely not have attended at all due to illness, sleeping babies, travel from out of town etc.
Implementation hasn’t started in our area as yet, but still interesting to hear what others have found.
Staffing, time constraints and access to suitable facilities are all limitations. It would be good to partner with community health but COVID restrictions and staffing has been a broad issue. Could perhaps be delivered online or linked with other education sessions.
COVID presented difficulties in the general running of groups and we are just getting back to the F2F sessions. We have not been able to implement the program due to staffing and priorities of other initiatives within our program. We have also had staff turnover and this has reduced the staff trained to implement the program.
one barrier to implementing INFANT for our council as that we needed to partner with another organisations – I am interested to now research whether this is necessary. If not we may be able to implement the program afterall!
The way it is “sold” to families is really important to keep them interested and wanting to attend. Staffing, time restraints, flexibility and access can also impact on attendance and how successful the program will be. Such a great and important program that needs to be implemented statewide
Our council and MCH team have linked the Infant session to NPG so at least every first time attendee gets one session. Some MCH nurses have been promoting the second session to the group as a chance to reconnect.
I work with Rob and this has been a great way to promote attendance of 6m session. We have seen that some centres have more success than others with some groups enjoying the chance to catch up again. The 9 month session is a challenge and therefore looking at combining the 6 and 9 month sessions. 12m even more challenging
We are only just implementing the program however one of the drivers for offering the program is that we hope to free up more time in KAS appointments as the nutrition content will be covered in INFANT sessions
I think that is a great idea to promote infant sessions.
As we are finding since the lock down our clients have become more and more complex and if there is an ongoing group session for food and activities in the first 12 months it may also promote ongoing attendances.
The lead body with our INFANT program is the community health service and not MCH at this stage so we will see how it goes, just started
We are thinking about lots of different ways to implement the group. Time is always an issue as it is not just the running of the group but the planning and sending out of invites etc. takes a large chunk of time out of the diary.
I think versatility is key, jumping on the first time parents groups, amalgamating into KAS if needed, piggy backing SPG or groups already running and offering an online component would allow for the biggest cross section of clients.
I don’t think its fair to the running FTPG to overtake their group with INFANT and invite other parents, maybe if there was an additional week to the group this could be an option.
Staffing is a big factor in this scenario though – for every group that runs, that’s KAS consults that cant be completed in an already overstretched and struggling service.
We are beginning INFANT next month. We anticipate challenges to get people to groups as we have with sleep and settling. We hope by combining theses sessions into a parenting education session may capture more participants and get more FTPG participants back together for a social catch up. Hopefully we may be able to utilise other facilities ie local library.
I think introducing an online session of INFANT may help bring more people due to convenience..
Like others we have had to constantly review our approach and come up with ideas to encourage participation. It has been beneficial to get ideas from others delivering INFANT and what has worked well for them.
We are yet to implement INFANT, I like the idea of starting out before or after a supported playgroup session and then looking at other group sessions such as library groups in teh community.
I have not run any sessions but feel face to face groups would work best instead of 1:1 sessions for social connection, parents able to discuss with each other what they have learnt and what others have tried and what has worked and what hasn’t.
Although if parents are not attending an INFANT group then discussing it during a KAS consultation can also be effective. .
It would be good looking at evaluations to see what parents liked and disliked about the groups sessions and what they want.
Covid presented some challenges with groups due to group numbers being capped or groups being conducted via Zoom, sometimes families got bumped to the next group due to group number caps and perhaps the content delivered was not always ideal for the age of the children in that group, and may have seemed less relevant to parents. It seems that parents are motivated to attend if they are having some challenges with feeding but may not feel the need if everything is perceived to be going well. Apparently keen parents at the first session are not always included in the numbers at the second session. Maybe we could sign parents up to a 4 session program at the first session. If it’s in their diaries, they might be encouraged to participate.
The 6 month INFANT session is definitely the most popular/well attended session
I have found the INFANT sessions that I have facilitated to be very interactive and the parents enjoy the group face to face sessions. I think combining INFANT with other programs has been beneficial for our community. However it is the later sessions that have been had to sustain most likely due to parents returning to work or other competing priorities. Possibly our LGA could offer the 12 month session as a zoom session.
The challenge at times is the availability of an dietitian, with staff changes. the sessions run with an Dietitian and MCHN are well received . The combination of the 3 + 6 months sessions has been well received. At the end of the new parent group. Parents do prefer the the face to face from feedback. The involvement of the dietitian from the local community health Centre does encourage families to see what if offering at the local Community Health
Sometimes there is a lag in access to a dietitian when staffing changes occur. This can mean that we don’t always have a dietitian to attend. We try to link in as soon as possible with new dietitians to say hi, talk about INFANT and send them the link to the training and INFANT home page. If they have to wait for the next course we will invite them to come along and observe an INFANT session to get a feel for the program locally
We now run our INFANT sessions out of the Family & Child hub which is a more welcoming environment for families, who can return to this space for breastfeeding, changing etc. There are also other services available to have been great to link families in with other services. We use an online form to collect participant details which has been a lot easier than the paper based forms we previously used.
INFANT program particularly 6M session via ZOOM has been very successful in our LGA. Reach is greater in that more family members able to participate and watch sessions. Any individual queries/concerns can be followed up after session
I think it is important for all facilitators in LGA to meet and discuss what has worked well and what hasn’t. Also evaluation feed back from participants to be reviewed and considered in future planning.
We are constantly evolving our INFANT groups to try to get more participants and to maintain their interest in the program. I do find that the attendance is variable with in respect to whichever MCHN ran the New Parent’s Group – this could be a result of facilitator skill level or social connection or delivery of the content and encouragement to attend the next session. The sessions need to be tailored to each individual groups dynamics and it is a skills to deliver the content while following the lead of the group. I feel as staff become more familiar with the content they will become more flexible with delivery and run a better group – it all takes practise!
We haven’s started implementation yet , but its certainly sounds like an interesting idea to offer something online for one or more of the follow up sessions if we find there is low attendance.
I am currently not implementing the program
In our LGA we have combined the 3 and 6 month session and are offering it towards the end of the new parent group. This was because our participation numbers significantly drop by the 6 month session.
We were offering the session facilitated by a MCH Nurse along with a dietician and this works well but due to staffing challenges we often do not have a dietician available.
Families have provided feedback that they prefer face to face sessions so we only offered online sessions when face to face groups were on hold.
Online delivery has been working well for us. It is easy to set up and facilitate and no need to find an appropriate venue and set up and clean up, also means that people are more comfortable as staying at home and not sitting in a room with strangers and can put baby to bed or feed in comfort of own home. I encourage families to have both parents attend and even grandparents if will be caring for child or also to educate grandparents who are pressuring new parents to do things as that is how they did it. I have had numerous couples who both have listened in but 1 is at work at the time.
We offer multiple 6 month sessions every month and then 9 and 12 month sessions alternate months as not getting the same uptake.
We have talked about promoting on council social media pages.
We have increased the number of 6 month groups as this seems to be a time when parents who may not wish to attend the whole program are interested. They at least get the evidence based information at this time. We are holding our sessions on line and have found that a number of families give the link to grandparents/ partners in other locations so they can all listen in and have the same information together.
I think for us in our LGA with staff availability being an issue in the past it will work well for us to link in with MCH & at least for the first 3 month session tie this into the new parents group running regularly. We haven’t been in a position until this year to really get the ball rolling
Implementation has not yet commenced in our region so I am unable to make comment at this point.
One reason I believe that has been a barrier to implementing the INFANT program in our LGA is due to staffing availability and setting aside time from our current clinical roles to organise these groups. Another one being staff turnover and allowing that time for new staff to commence the INFANT training.