OXPIP - Sessions to help parents bond with their child
Dr Karen Bateson talked to us about the work of OXPIP – Oxford Infant-Parent Project and the impact of the Powerhouse grant.
She explained that: “For a surprising number of new parents, adversity or something traumatic interferes with their ability to form a close bond with their baby. It is a difficult subject for parents who find themselves in this situation to acknowledge or talk about, given that society takes it as a given that every parent will love their newborn from day one. This can have a devastating effect on parents’ mental health, but also on the child’s development, and if not supported to form a good bond, can lead to mental health difficulties in later childhood and in adulthood.”
OXPIP identified a massive gap in support for parents experiencing these difficulties. OXPIP provides therapy sessions for parents to help them understand why this is happening to them and overcome the difficulties bonding with their child, using qualified psychotherapists who are experts in this area.
Although OXPIP was founded over 27 years ago, Powerhouse funding since 2022 has enabled them to expand operations in the Didcot area. The Powerhouse grant in 2024 supported 23 local families. It is estimated that around 15% of families experience significant difficulties in bonding with their child, meaning that there is still a huge gap in available support. Thanks to the additional grant funding from the Powerhouse, OXPIP has managed to help more families and also to leverage additional funding from the National Lottery to continue and to expand its work.
Therapy Sessions
OXPIP offers therapy to any parent or carer, including mothers, fathers and the wider family, for as long as it is needed and until the relationships is back on track. For some, this might be just one or two sessions, for others more therapy and time is needed. There is a range of people seeking support, from parents who have experienced mental health problems or difficulties conceiving, have had a traumatic childhood to parents who have been victims of trafficking or abuse. Many parents feel guilt or shame about not bonding with their baby and therefore it is not something they find easy to talk about . But there is always an explanation about why it’s happening and OXPIP therapists create that space to explore and understand. OxPIP offers a non-judgemental approach to help any parent who is struggling with that bond. As well as people who have experienced significant trauma, OxPIP often sees parents who have are finding the reality of parenting a new baby very different to their usual experience of life and this can be be having a big impact on mental health for both parent and baby.
For one father, James, OXPIP offered a lifeline to help him bond with his son:
“OXPIP gave me insight and factual evidence as to how memories from childhood can affect me to this day. Me and my son’s relationship has completely turned around and I feel I understand him and myself a lot more. He in turn has new found affections and a trust in me we just did not have before. I thank OXPIP from the bottom of my heart for enabling me and my son to live our best possible lives together.”
James, OxPIP beneficiary
Reconnecting
So many parents have managed to reconnect with their baby thanks to OXPIP and to build that precious bond with their child.
Evaluation of the Oxford Parent-Infant project shows that 91% of parents improve their bond with their child and 75% of parents experience improvement to their mental health scores.
OXPIP’s ambitions include expanding the number of families that can be supported and also forming closer bonds with other local stakeholders to encourage more referrals and more awareness of the support on offer. Didcot Powerhouse Fund’s grant and its wider network of charities is helping to do just that.