SAFE Attachment Programme is a preventative model with the goal of enhancing the development of a secure early attachment between parent and child. Research has shown that securely attached children are more self-confident, more resilient and socially more competent throughout their lives.

This programme appeals to all first time parents.  They attend the programme from their 20^th-25^th week of pregnancy until one year after the birth of their baby. The course teaches them the importance of the emotional bond between them and their baby by way of education through monthly workshops.

Within the programme we offer each parent the Adult Attachment Interview to ascertain whether they themselves have suffered trauma. If so, we offer them individual therapy besides attending the group.    This ensures that they will not “act out” their early trauma on their own children. When at the seminars, the parents are supported and nurtured by the facilitating professionals and the mentors … given morning and afternoon teas and lunches..

The classes essentially focus on simple parenting tasks like how to set boundaries and how to keep children safe. They run for 10 sessions over 10 Sundays; four classes before Baby is born and six classes after the birth over the first year. The team of professional psychologists, family therapists and specialist teachers are headed by Augustina Driessen, child psychotherapist.

The trained mentors help the parents develop confidence in handling their baby. They learn to react sensitively and appropriately to the signals of the child. Through this the baby develops a secure attachment which can take between eight and 12 months. 

Within the group and individual discussions parents are encouraged to ask questions and express any concerns they may be feeling.  During the workshop parents view videos/DVDs showing interactions during play, nappy-changing and feeding times.

The participants will have access to a telephone hot-line if any urgent issues arise outside the hours of clinic attendance

BASE (Baby Watching Against Aggression, for Sensitivity and Empathy) 

This 12 month programme is delivered by trained educators to children three to six years of age in a classroom setting.   Once a week for 20-30 minutes the children observe a parent interacting with her/his baby.  The latter join the programme when the baby is 4-6 weeks old.  The aim is to improve the children’s thought patterns to encourage sensitivity and empathy toward the couple and thus to all. During the session the parent and baby sit in the centre of a circle of children under the guidance of the educators, who ask the class specific questions pertaining to:   Doing, Thinking, Feeling. 

Baby may be crying, breast-feeding or playing. The children are asked:--

“What is the baby doing?”  “What is the Mummy/Daddy doing?’

“What do you think the baby is thinking?’  “What do you think the Mummy/Daddy is thinking?”

“What do you think the baby is feeling/” “What do you think the Mummy/Daddy is feeling?”

The ultimate aim of the programme is for children to be able to put themselves in the mother’s/baby’s shoes. “How would you feel if you were the Mummy”?  How would you feel if you were the baby”?

 When this is achieved we know that the child now understands and has empathy.

Teachers report that the children act out with each other and with dolls what they have observed. In today’s modern world many children have no other contact with babies.  The children show greater care and consideration toward each other both in the classroom and the playground. Teachers say that the parent/baby days are the calmest.

Improvements in the intervention groups assessed by Educators:

Boys: 

• Less aggressive behavior
• Less oppositional behavior
• Improved alertness
• Less social withdrawal
• More emotional reactivity
• Less “anxious-depressed”

• Less physical complaints
• Improved alertness
• Less social withdrawal
• More emotional reactivity
• Less “anxious-depressed.”

This programme has been operating in the Bay of Plenty since 2008; a DVD has been collated at two of the original facilities.As at March 2010 ten schools have been trained in the BASE program.