Baby Makes 3 is a finalist for the Victorian Health Promotion Awards 2022

We are incredibly excited to announce that the Baby Makes 3 is a finalist for the Victorian Health Promotion Awards 2022 in the Outstanding Health Promotion category!

This category recognises health promotion organisations or programs that were flexible, innovative and successful in supporting Victorians to improve their health and quality of life. Baby Makes 3 (BM3) solidified its nomination with their year of impressive results and outstanding achievements 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022.

During this time especially, COVID-19 shone a spotlight on the already significantly unequal roles in parenthood, with even more of the burden of housework and childcare, and particularly home schooling, falling to mothers or the birthing parent. New research shows that COVID has led to a profound decline in mothers’ mental health and wellbeing that hasn’t yet recovered [https://www.mcri.edu.au/news-stories/maternal-mental-health-and-well-being-profoundly-impacted-by-covid-19-pandemic].

This is such well-deserved recognition for the incredibly passionate, skilled and committed BM3 team and a time to acknowledge and celebrate the significant body of work since 2008, which has enabled families to thrive. Congratulations to the BM3 team for all their amazing work!

BM3 is an evidence-based social change health promotion approach and one of Victoria’s longest serving primary prevention initiatives, influencing social norms for gender equality in parenting. BM3 promotes equal and respectful relationships, the mental health and wellbeing of families and harmonious co-parenting.

The BM3 team rose above the challenges presented by the pandemic to deliver a year of incredible program evolution and strategic growth, delivering important benefits to more first-time parents across Victoria than ever before, particularly those from vulnerable, marginalised and ‘hard to reach’ communities. In the 2021-2022 financial year, up to 48,200 families (25,600 antenatal; 22,600 postnatal) benefited from BM3 initiatives and the team worked in partnership with local governments and antenatal and postnatal family services. The BM3 team also co-designed with organisations with specific expertise to adapt the model and resources to increase accessibility for the broader diversity of Victorian families.

You can find out more about the Victorian Health Promotion Awards 2022 here: Outstanding Health Promotion

Find out more about BM3 here: Baby Makes 3 Program Overview or visit our Baby Makes 3 page.