Pregnancy and Homelessness: Service Responses

This research originated from concerns expressed by senior staff at Launch Housing and the Royal Women's Hospital that pregnant homeless women are not receiving the level of support warranted, given their circumstances and that of their unborn child. While individual Victorian homelessness services work with pregnant homeless women, there is currently no systemic response to this group, nor is there reliable information on how many women among the homeless population are pregnant. These gaps in the service system, and in the collection of data, contribute to lost opportunities for intervention to provide the best possible support to women and infants. The research had two key elements, reflected in the following two research questions: * What is the estimated number of pregnant women in Victoria's homeless population and how might data collection processes be put in place that better identify and enumerate this group? * In what ways do Victorian homelessness and related services work with a pregnant homeless woman, and how might this occur in better ways for both the woman and her baby?