REGINA — New mothers and pregnant women taking part in Sanctum Care Group Inc. (Sanctum) programs now have greater access to supports.
An enhanced partnership has been formed among the Ministry of Social Services, Ministry of Health and the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA). The partnership administers $325,000 in increased support to Sanctum's Prenatal Outreach and Resource Team (PORT) and Sanctum 1.5 programs as announced in the 20234-24 budget. Total allocation is $650,000.
The funding enables Sanctum to expand programming with the creation of four new positions that will allow them to extend clinic service hours overnight. These services ensure mothers in Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert have the support necessary to safely parent their children and decrease barriers to accessing health and social services.
Sanctum's PORT program supports women in complex life situations by providing early interventions that reduce health complications in mothers and babies. Sanctum 1.5 addresses the health and well-being of high-risk pregnant women and their children. Both programs aim to help at-risk mothers safely care for their children, reduce the number of children entering out-of-home care and reduce perinatal transmission of HIV.
Since 2018, Sanctum 1.5 has supported 136 pregnant women and their newborns. Seventy-six per cent of mothers who graduate Sanctum 1.5 have custody of their infants, and 89 children in out-of-home care have been reunited with their mothers. No HIV-positive babies have been born to mothers who resided at Sanctum 1.5 during pregnancy. PORT has now worked with 243 pregnant women and their children, with 80 per cent of mothers maintaining custody of their child.
"This program has proven in a short period of time the immense need for this type of support during pregnancy and the incredible outcomes that can be achieved through preventative, trauma-informed approaches to care that focus on the health and social needs of complex patient populations," Sanctum Executive Director Katelyn Roberts said.
Sanctum is a community-based organization made up of interagency professionals who work with people affected by HIV, addictions, mental health issues, poverty and homelessness. Sanctum currently operates five programs that support people who face an intersection of health and social barriers in the community: Sanctum, HART (HIV AIDS Response Team), Sanctum 1.5 and PORT.
To learn more about Sanctum, please visit: www.sanctumcaregroup.com.
