The first 1000 days of life is a critical period in the development of a child, impacting the health outcomes of individuals, their families and communities. Specialist maternal, child and family health services play an integral role in the identification, support and response for children and families with increasingly complex physical, developmental, psychosocial and behavioral health needs. Tresillian, the largest early parenting organisation in Australia, has been providing specialist services in NSW for over 100 years, with a focus on the crucial early years of a child’s life. The suite of services provided by Tresillian enables the development of a ‘package of care’, tailored to the needs and circumstances of families.

This presentation will provide an overview of the development of the Tresillian service model, the use of clinical tools to inform assessment of family needs and priorities, supporting the identification of goals meaningful to the parent and family. Findings from recent research will be presented including the elements of an early parenting service model that ‘matter most’ to families and community-based service providers, and the manner in which the service model can be adapted for different settings. The results of an evaluation study will then be presented demonstrating outcomes and learnings for increasing access to person-centred, safe and effective specialist service response for families.