Ready Steady Grow

Ready Steady Grow promotes supported and healthy pregnancy and the social and emotional development of infants, toddlers and their families.

The parent and child support service was developed with local partners active in the delivery of ante and post natal support services for people living in Ballymun. These partners constituted the Service Design Team in the planning phase of 2007/8.

The service design process included outreach consultations with young parents and research conducted by Dublin City University School of Nursing and out of  this work has emerged a new parent and child support service that is delivered by local service providers, both HSE and community.

The service is underpinned by the following principles:

• Continuity of care – service spans antenatal, birth and infant and toddler parenting
  
  
• Inclusive - a parent, child and family-friendly service
  
  
• Accessible – available in a variety of locations, and respectful of individual parent’s preferences
  
  
• Integration – clear pathways into the service and different parts of the service well connected to each other and to other service providers
  
  
• Smooth transitions – the transition from ante-natal supports through birth, from the birth / new born to home and community-based services all coordinated and supportive of the parents and family.

There are three strands to Ready, Steady, Grow: 

1.      Antenatal Support  - read more

2.     Parent & Child Psychological Support Programme - read more

3.     Infant Mental Health - read more

Some quotes from parents who have been to Ready Steady Grow:

“Overall I have found the programme very reassuring in my role as a mother and I especially appreciated the fact that I was approached not just as a mother but as a person who is a mum amongst other roles.”

“The programme has really helped me understand Lucy`s development and how to interact with my child better. I have really enjoyed getting feedback and meeting the professionals that are clearly interested in the wellbeing of my child”

"It`s been a very informative year and has helped me feel more confident when it comes to parenting."

"The support is good for all parents but for single mothers or young mothers, it’s good because you feel you are not on your own"