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 30 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.
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Asking the parents – evaluations at each group session. Incorporating the 3 and 6 month sessions in group format and the older baby sessions as a 1:1 additional appt maybe ?
We started offering the first session as part of our 1st parent group, then offered the 2nd session as a “catch-up” group once the 1st parent groups had concluded. The parents enjoy catching up again. We haven’t got to the 12 month session yet but anticipate the same result.
Definitely a work in progress…some groups are better attended than others. Incentives do help. We have found the 12-month session is the hardest group to engage families.
First session is well attended with less attendance at future groups. This is mainly due to recruitment and reminders – we are still finding a way to improve in this area.
The 3-month and 6-month sessions has been well attended however the 9-month session was not well attended as some parents are back at work. Maybe changing the time and days of sessions or offering an on-line option.
Adding on to the FTPG is a great idea and likely to increase participation rates. The main barrier I see at present to full implementation by MCH services is the impact of inadequate staff availability, a problem that many LGA’s are currently experiencing.
Having run several of the 3m sessions now and next year having more staffing capacity to offer the follow on sessions, i think approaching our PEEP playgroup sessions will be a good way to capture more families.
Great to read that others have similar challenges and ideas with regard to implementation. We only support the current INFANT program in our area but face similar dilemmas with other groups. Sometimes reminders help, sometimes the recruitment is hard, out of hours programs have been trialed but not always more successful.
the 6 -9-month session has been most popular in our areas
Incorporating the 1st INFANT session has been quite successful, and those groups/cohorts are then invited to attended at 6, 9, 12m sessions. Attendance varies due to natural attrition/RTW etc. First year almost completed, so our program implementation will be reviewed re staff and processes. It would be good to be open to other families in the older groups, or an online option for those without transport etc.
We’ve been able to arrange with IT to have one way SMS via email. So can send out reminders much easier (as its not made as an individual booking in our usual community health booking software to auto send reminders). This means we now have SMS and email reminders we can draft when we have time and delay send to day before or when we determine si appropriate time frames.
We were sending SurveyMonkey links to parents who could not attend to see reasons for non attendance. We have started running the sessions every 3 months with week 1 3 months, week 2 6 month session etc to make it easier for promotions and staff schedules/room bookings.
Being an LGA with lower birth rates, geographically spread out towns (rural LGA), and staffing capacity will mean some adaptations will be made to suit our needs. We will take on some of the fabulous ideas shared by others in this training and consult regularly with the INFANT team also.
We are doing face to face and some online sessions.
Advertising in the centres and on children family services facebook.
Space availability and pressure on MCH to take on yet another group facilitation role is becoming so hard. No take up from other community agencies who could share responsibility but valuable resources that all the nurses have access to and incorporate in their work.
We have tried various options to retain and encourage families back to the ongoing sessions.
We have tried incentives as well.
It is a work in progress.
Incorporating Infant into FTPG is a a great start to capture first time parents however more promotion needs to be done for the remainder of families. Also some families are still apprehensive about attending groups since covid so an online option would make this more acceptable and probably increase the uptake.
I think we also need to look at how we are promoting the program and how easy (or not) we are making it for parents to book in.
Perhaps it could be part of our home visit info, including a pamphlet or info to put in the Child Health Record.
I am not currently involved in offering the 4 infant sessions but try and promote attendance and offer clients a brochure from city Whittlesea encouraging them to book. The parents who do attend are more in tune with their child’s healthy eating , play etc and less likely to come to every toddler / preschool KAS session and say their child does not eat anything.
(Common cause on discussion as we are all aware -bottles)
Not currently implementing INFANT but I agree with some of the other commenters that building on to existing groups such as supported playgroups and for Aboriginal parents in places they feel are culturally acceptable and safe is essential
I think reviewing attendance and drop off important. We could link it to another activity for the older groups to increase uptake.
Just need to look at what would be a good ‘carrot’ to entice families back.
Implementing the program into FTPG is a great start and hopefully encourages the group to book into the subsequent sessions.
We are continually reviewing our strategies for engagement and delivery. We are slowly getting better systems in place and engaging more parents but yet to see any fathers participate which is most likely due to the fact that our sessions are run during work hours.
We also noticed a drop in attendance at 9 and 12 months when we ran the whole program online. We will need to think about managing the 12 month sessions face to face and the possibility of a hybrid model perhaps, food for thought. Thanks for your comments they are very useful.
I have found the 3-6 month session to be popular and then attendance starts to drop off. This could be due to parents returning to work and time of session etc. We are asking participants for their feedback on these matters and will make changes as necessary. As mentioned by another facilitator, it’s going to take time and evaluation to see what works.
I think the implementation should continually be reviewed and revised as part of a continuous improvement plan, we obviously lost a lot of momentum for groups over the last 2 years and now re-buidling that into our service structure in a sustainable way may take some time and refinement.
I agree best time to introduce it is incorporated into FTP group and also great idea having it linked with supported playgroup to reach a vulnerable families too
Absolutely great idea to offer to Supported Playgroups, as well as FTP groups. Offering to vulnerable families has potential to be very valuable.
Since it was first introduced @ Whittlesea Infant implementation has had a few changes which have now morphed into it’s current format which I think is a good sustainable template. I believe that having better access to promotional information & the ability to book online would also improve attendance.
Having a direct link that allows parents to book themselves in the infant program would be very helpful
That is a great idea
We found the 12m session hard to retain numbers, and those that did attend were often distracted by busy toddlers. Therefore, it is now offered online only and we have a much better attendance rate.
Would love to trial an online session for 12 months
We implemented the infant program many years ago, it has been successful at times but it relies on the promotion, the location and time to work
Incorporating the infant program into First time parents group is a perfect start and also provides an opportunity for introducing the other age info. sessions to parents.
I feel parents would be more inclined to be interested and complete the rest of the sessions.
I feel it would be great to offer the infant program to families who attend our supported playgroups.
Since commencing INFANT, our team and the local MCHNs can see the value in such a great program. Therefore we are running another pilot group with the MCHNs and this time we are targeting more vulnerable families. We have trained an additional two staff members (Physiotherapists) who will be involved in the delivery of some sessions in the future. In order for INFANT to be sustainable in our community, a commitment is required by our local council and our executive team. INFANT has certainly has facilitated the partnership between our community health service and the local MCHNs.
Service capacity has limited our scope, though we are looking forward to being able to offer INFANT to the wider community next year, and not just those who attend New Parent Groups.
incorporating the infant program into First time parents group is a perfect start and also you then have an opportunity of introducing the other age info sessions to parents
If we had the opportunity to run the first session as part of FTPG I feel like more parents would be interested and complete the rest of the sessions.
Hi Kelly,
You are encouraged to run 0-3 Infant in one of your FTPG sessions.
There have been some changes, MCHN run most, overeager due to staff shortage this has been very difficult. Advertising of the program could be better and easier for families to navigate.
I do find that parents who have attended Infant have less anxiety about feeding their infant which definitely saves time when completing KAS appts.
All parents need to be offered the full 4 sessions but especially first time parents. I find it easy to book a parent into a group through CDIS but the council website booking system is quite cumbersome and may impede the numbers of attendees.
I love the idea of offering it as part of or extra to supported playgroups or FTPGs as I think it is so valuable to parents and actually cuts down on a lot of work for MCHNs in KAS visits. I do find the booking in is cumbersome for parents through our council. If I was able to book it in, put some paper into their green book with the dates their booked and they got reminder texts that might help? Also offering weights at the end of these sessions if parents want them?
Infant at COW is currently being delivered by our early childhood workers because MCHN are needed to keep up with KAS visits.
I think I answered this question in the previous section. Reviewing / evaluating a program is important.
Our MCH service offers INFANT only in the Enhanced MCH setting.
It would be great if INFANT is offered in EMCH and as add on after the universal FTPG. I also very much like the idea of Supported Playgroup settings offering INFANT.
INFANT sessions have been successful in our Rural LGA in a new parent group setting. We have found it better in the group setting and also having a Dietitian to help facilitate and deliver these sessions has been valuable.
I feel we are in a growth area, and cost of living and interest rate rises are impacting families needing to shorten their maternity leave plans. As such, I feel older age sessions being held in evenings or on weekends would see a rise in retention rates.
Staff retention has impacted our service delivery and the flow of the groups. I have also found families have dropped off for later sessions as they have returned to work or study. I know it is ideal for group cohesion to try to maintain the group from the start. However, I feel adding participants to later sessions who may be new to the area or originally declined but then faced feeding challenges is a way to increase participation in part. It would be better to run a 9mth session with 2 original families and add new interested parties, than to cancel a group due to low participation rate.