Our advocacy and community work
We are a volunteer grass roots organisation.
As volunteers, we meet every month to make sure we're keeping on top of our goals and being proactive in our advocacy.
Our primary goal is to be a voice for improving access to homebirth in Victoria, and broadly. We also aim to contribute a strong community of homebirthing families who value the benefits of birthing at home. All our work is volunteer based and as we do not have a charity status - we have no funding! If our FB group, website, meet ups or advocacy has supported you in any way - we encourage you to donate to suport us and help keep Homebirth Victoria alive!
We are currently in the process of getting Not-For Profit Status. If you would donate before we get charity status, please use the below platform.
Read below about what we've been up to...
National Maternity Workforce Strategy in-person forum - April 2025
In April, Isabel & Elsie attended the Melbourne forum for the National Maternity Workforce strategy. We joined approximately 40 other people working in maternity care in Victoria in workshopping current issues and possible solutions to improve the current maternity workforce. We seemingly were the only people representing homebirth or private midwifery (in a homebirth context) which reinforced our need to be in these conversations.
You can read more about this taskforce here.
Safer Care Victoria Maternity Taskforce Submission - March 2025
Homebirth Victoria was invited to provide a submission for the Vic Maternity Taskforce.
The Victorian Maternity Taskforce was established in October 2024 to address challenges in maternity care and identify opportunities to strengthen the safety, sustainability and accessibility of rural and regional maternity services in Victoria. The Taskforce will deliver recommendations to the Government in mid-2025.
Homebirth Victoria Gathering October 2024
In October 2024 (1 year after starting the first HBV Facebook Group) we hosted a gathering in Thornbury @ Pender's Park. Whilst it was quite windy, it was a beautiful afternoon with a lot of connecting and learning about local business.
We also drew the 3 winners for our HBV raffle which will help us with our 2025 goals and costs!
This will occur annually - 2025 location TBC!
Info flyers in Publicly Funded Homebirth Programs
We have been successfully able to pass through the approval to have flyers included in the Sunshine Hospital (Joan Kirner), Mercy Hospital in Heidelberg & Geelong Hospital's Publicly Funded Homebirth Program Info Packs.
We aim to achieve this with all PFHB programs.
If you work within one of these programs we would REALLY appreciate your support in helping us to advocate for the inclusion of these. Please contact us if you can help.
Professional Indemnity Insurance Working Group
In 2024, we worked closely with other consumer organisation to help fight the proposed changes to the exemption of PII for Private Midwives.
We volunteered many many hours contributing, promoting, attending meetings, proof reading and supporting other individuals to advocate for all families who have chosen homebirth, are choosing homebirth or want to option of homebirth.
You can read more on the Homebirth Australia website here: https://www.homebirthaustralia.org/professional-indemnity-insurance.html
HBV A-Frame
A-Frame to help create public awareness at meet ups
In October 2024 we were able to raise enough donations to purchase an A-Frame!
Homebirth Victoria Website
Wix.com is a free website platform where you can design and create your own website however in order to have your own domain name...you have to pay to be upgraded!
Born at Home Film Flyers
To improve our visability, Steph & Elsie split the costs of 500 flyers, voluntarily designed by a midwife and member of Homebirth Victoria. We then posted them to major screenings around Victoria - maybe you saw one!
You can watch this online now here.