Ready Steady Family: Free Support for Expecting and New Parents

Ready Steady Family is a free program by Drummond Street Services that offers wraparound support for expecting and new parents and caregivers. Whether you are welcoming your first baby or adding to your family, we understand that adjusting to life with a baby can bring joy, challenges and significant change.

In the first two years, families often navigate new routines, shifts in identity and roles, and high levels of emotional and physical demand. Ready Steady Family provides compassionate, inclusive support to help you feel confident and connected.

Who We Are

Our team includes:

  • Perinatal Mental Health Practitioners
  • Parenting Coaches
  • Peer Support Workers
  • Group Facilitators
  • Family Violence Support Workers
  • Bicultural Workers

What We Offer

We offer a wide range of support, including:

  • Counselling for new and expecting parents and caregivers in all family constellations, including queer and LGBTQIA+ specific support
  • Parenting coaching for common concerns like sleep, feeding, routines and relationships
  • Peer support home visits from parents with lived experience
  • Groups and seminars for parents, carers and children
  • Family violence support for those who need it
  • Practical support and information sessions

Group and Seminar Calendar

Our fun and informative groups and seminars are designed to boost confidence and connection for you and your family. Visit www.ds.org.au or email rsfevents@ds.org.au to see what’s on or book your spot. All groups and seminars are free of charge.

Need help with…

  • Adjusting to life with a new baby?
  • Feeling confident in your parenting?
  • Finding ways to cope with the change a baby brings?

Get in touch and find out how Ready Steady Family can support you.

Family Foundations: Strengthening Your Parenting Partnership

Are you:

  • Expecting a baby?
  • Adjusting to life with a newborn?
  • Looking to work better together as co-parents?

You may be interested in Family Foundations, a 10-session evidence-based course designed to support co-parents to build strong parenting partnerships and improve outcomes for babies.

Developed by Pennsylvania State University and adapted for Australian families by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Family Foundations helps co-parents (partners, ex-partners, grandparents, friends) work together, manage stress, and build a positive home environment for children.

We recommend attending five sessions before baby arrives and five after birth, but families with newborns are still welcome to start now. Sessions are 50–60 minutes and can be arranged flexibly to suit your schedule.

How to Access Support

We offer flexible appointments during the day and evening, in-person or online. Some support can happen in your home, at a community venue, or at one of our locations in Melbourne’s North and West.

To access Ready Steady Family or Family Foundations: