Sands

ABOUT US

SANDS is a self-help support group comprised of parents who have experienced the death of a baby through miscarriage, stillbirth, or shortly after birth.

SANDS provides immediate and ongoing support to bereaved parents, families and friends. Sharing with others who have had similar experiences can assist parents to work through the often intense grief which follows the death of a baby.

Established in 1983, SANDS has been supporting parents for over 25 years, and has also been educating health workers and medical professionals in the care of bereaved parents.

What are the aims of SANDS?

SANDS aims to:

facilitate the normal grief process for the newly bereaved and for parents whose natural grief was denied appropriate expression at the time of their baby's death

change the community attitude and associated practices that fail to recognise the death of a baby as a real loss, legitimate to mourn

encourage research into the incidence, cause, effects on the family and methods of preventing and alleviating associated problems with the death of a baby.

History and achievements:


1983	Formation of a support group for parents following miscarriage, stillbirth and neonatal death, later to be known as SANDS (Vic) at a public meeting.
	Development of initial training for parent supporters
1984	Development of network of local support groups throughout metropolitan Melbourne and country Victoria.
1985	Changes to legislation for registration of stillborn babies.
1986	Development of ‘SANDS Hospital Policy’ and ‘Guidelines for Care of Parents’.
	Launch of booklet ‘Your baby has died…’
1994	Established a website which the first site in the world to use ‘stillbirth’ as a key word.
1995	SANDS provided input to the Department of Social Security for the introduction of the Maternity Allowance and Bereavement Allowance payments for stillborn babies.
	SANDS became an active member of the Consumer Bereavement Group, which was established at the Royal Women’s Hospital as a result of the Reproductive Loss Review.
1996	The first ‘Older Loss Support Group’ was formed following the massive response to publicity regarding parents and families whose baby had died many years ago.
1997	Launch of the pamphlet “Making decisions…when a baby dies”.
	SANDS (Vic) successfully tenders to provide services to bereaved parents in Victoria.
1998	Launch of “Fathers grief…when a baby dies” pamphlet.
2000	Incorporation of the SANDS Australia Research Foundation.
	The Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages, agreed to issue certificates for stillborn babies born prior to 1986.
2001	Participation in the development of literature and consent forms for parents regarding autopsy examinations.
2003	20th Birthday celebration
	20^th Anniversary Memorial edition of "Your baby has died…" published.
2008	25th birthday party celebrating our volunteers
	Release of book Our Babies Have Died: Stories of Miscarriage, Stillbirth and Neonatal Death