Free Creche Service Case Study – International Women’s Day 2023

To celebrate International Women’s Day 2023, we are sharing some insight into how services can positively impact the experience of women by looking at the free crèche we offer during our weekly Women’s Morning. International Women’s Day is a day to celebrate the strength, courage, and resilience of women around the world. However, it is also a time to acknowledge the unique challenges women face, particularly those with caring responsibilities and a negative relationship with drugs and/or alcohol.

Women’s Morning is our weekly open-access support group for women to join in a safe and supportive therapeutic setting. During the session, the attendees can also speak to one of our expert team of drug workers. Our crèche, staffed by professional crèche workers, is open for children under 5s. This isn’t a radical concept but remains an unusual provision in drug services.

Access to treatment

Being responsible for children is a significant barrier for women to access drug and alcohol treatment. Providing free childcare removes the worry of cost and availability of childcare.

Consistency in treatment

Consistency has been shown as a leading factor in the benefits people see when working with drug and alcohol services. The lack of affordable childcare is a barrier to attending regularly. By providing free childcare, women are more likely to be available to attend more sessions leading to more consistent engagement and better outcomes.

Reduced stress

Accessing drug and alcohol treatment while caring for young children can be stressful. Stress can be an emotional trigger leading to familiar patterns of further drinking or drug use to cope. Free childcare can help alleviate this stress and allow women to focus on their goals.

Improvements in children’s wellbeing

Being a parent can be incredibly challenging at the best of times. Dealing with the complex issues surrounding drug and alcohol use can make it especially so. Free childcare improves outcomes for the women attending the group, which in turn, gives better outcomes for children .

We are committed to making our services appropriate for the needs of our community. Every member of our community deserves the ability to access our services freely, and we continue to work to remove the barriers and stigmas faced by people who use drugs and/or alcohol in Bristol.

Want to attend the group?

Women’s Morning runs weekly from 11am-1pm on Wednesdays. The group is open access meaning anyone can turn up on the day – no appointment needed. If you wish to use the free crèche service, we do, however, request that you get in contact beforehand so we can organise with our external crèche worker.

The group is located in our buildings in central Bristol. The address is 11 Brunswick Square, Bristol, BS2 8PE

If you have any questions or would like to book a spot in the creche, please contact us via 0117 987 6000 or by email to info@bdp.org.uk