Supporting Parents and Babies Through the Baby & Me Program

Each week at the Rev. Bill Crews Foundation in Sydney, a small group of parents gather with their babies for a program called Baby & Me.
 
The Foundation is widely known for its work supporting people experiencing poverty, homelessness and social disadvantage. Baby & Me is one of its early intervention programs designed to support families during the earliest months of parenting.
 
Over four weeks, parents and carers learn infant massage techniques while exploring ways to connect, communicate and build confidence in their relationship with their baby. Alongside massage, the sessions include discussions about co-regulation, early development and parent-child attunement.
 
The program is facilitated by Anna Charleston and Nur Heitz, both registered Play Therapists and Certified Infant Massage Instructors. Nur also brings experience as a registered doula, adding further insight into the needs of new families.
 
Baby & Me forms part of the Foundation's early intervention work supporting families during the early months of parenting.
 
Infant massage is the foundation of Baby & Me because it supports bonding, communication and co-regulation. Most importantly, it is the start of developing a secure attachment between parent and child.
- Anna Charleston and Nur Heitz

A gentle start for parents and babies

Baby & Me runs as a four-week program designed for babies from birth to around nine months of age, before they begin crawling. Pregnant parents are also welcome to attend and learn the techniques before their baby arrives.
 
Groups are intentionally small, usually four to six participants, allowing time for individual attention and conversation. The program is fully funded by the Rev. Bill Crews Foundation, meaning families can participate at no cost.
 
Families can self-refer to the program, although many are introduced to Baby & Me through other organisations that support parents in the community.
 
Infant massage forms the central framework of the sessions.
 
Across the four weeks, massage strokes are introduced gradually and at a pace that suits each group. Play-based interaction is woven throughout the sessions, drawing on Anna and Nur's play therapy experience to encourage connection and responsiveness between parents and their babies.
 

Building confidence in new parents

Many parents arrive feeling unsure of themselves, particularly when navigating sleep disruption, unsettled babies or digestive discomfort such as wind or constipation. Social isolation can also make the early months of parenting more difficult.
 
Through nurturing touch and shared discussion, the program helps parents reconnect with their instincts.
 
Anna and Nur consistently see a shift in confidence across the four weeks.
 
Parents gain confidence in their abilities and seem to have a renewed sense of joy in their babies. They start asking more questions and often come back excited to tell us which strokes worked best at home.
 
Sometimes the changes are subtle but meaningful. Parents who initially arrive early or stay late seeking reassurance gradually begin to settle into the group.
 
When parents begin arriving on time, laughing with their babies and connecting with the other parents in the group, we know they're starting to believe in themselves.
 
These small shifts often reflect a deeper change in how parents see themselves in their caregiving role.
 

Reducing isolation through shared experience

The small group format plays an important role in helping families feel supported.
 
Sessions are designed to be relaxed and welcoming, allowing parents to ask questions freely and share experiences with others navigating similar challenges.
 
Anna and Nur also draw on their own experiences of parenting.
 
When we share our own narrative as parents it immediately helps families feel more comfortable and lowers their guard. It becomes a safe space where no question is a silly question.
 
This sense of connection between parents can be just as valuable as the practical techniques being taught.
 

When small changes make a big difference

Over time, Anna and Nur have witnessed many meaningful moments during the program.
 
In several cases, mothers who previously experienced postnatal depression with earlier children have attended Baby & Me with a new baby, hoping for a different start.
 
Across the four weeks, Anna and Nur often notice significant shifts in both confidence and connection between parent and baby.
 
While the changes may appear small from the outside, they can represent an important turning point for families navigating the early months of parenting.
 

Why early support matters

The experiences Anna and Nur see in the program reflect what early childhood research has long shown about the importance of the earliest relationships in a child's life.
 
Research in early childhood development shows that the first years of life are a period of rapid brain development and relationship formation. Early caregiving relationships help shape a child's developing capacity for emotional regulation, learning and resilience.
 
The Baby & Me program was developed as part of the Foundation's commitment to supporting families during these early stages.
 
While play therapy is typically used with children aged three to sixteen years, the team recognised the importance of offering support much earlier.
 
The first three years of life are critical to the developing brain, including the development of a secure attachment which is the foundation for life. The Foundation recognised the importance of providing support as early as possible rather than waiting until children are older.
 
By focusing on the parent-baby relationship early, the program aims to strengthen family connections before difficulties become entrenched.
 

Training that supports the work

Anna Charleston and Nur Heitz completed their infant massage training through the Infant Massage Information Service (IMIS).
 
The structured framework from that training now forms the foundation of the Baby & Me program, alongside their play therapy and perinatal support skills.
 
We shifted our approach by using infant massage as the baseline and then building from this using our therapeutic skills with parents and carers.
 
Anna and Nur emphasise that programs like Baby & Me require facilitators who are comfortable supporting vulnerable parents.
 
It has to be the right person in the organisation. You're holding the space for adults who are sleep-deprived and often very vulnerable.
 

Supporting families from the very beginning

Programs like Baby & Me demonstrate how simple, relationship-based approaches can support parents during one of the most vulnerable stages of family life.
 
By helping parents build confidence, strengthen connection with their babies and feel supported within a community environment, the program contributes to the broader work of the Rev. Bill Crews Foundation in supporting families and creating stronger foundations for the future.
 

Baby & Me is delivered by the Rev Bill Crews Foundation.