Support for more parents

CHILD and Family Services is pleased to see State government funding allocated to a new parenting centre to be built in Ballarat.

Currently Cafs works with the families of over 100 children a year through their 24-year-old Day Stay program, and their wait list is up to three months. Deputy CEO, Wendy Sturgess said a new centre would allow the service to have a wider reach.

“There’s a strong demand, with 2000 babies being born in Ballarat. We congratulate the government for earmarking Ballarat.

“We’d love the centre to be built sooner rather than later and we look forward to being part of delivering a really evidence based approach to supporting families that we’ve been using and modifying over the last 25 years,” she said.

A service which will expand with the new facility is Cafs’ Day Stay program.

“Day Stay is a one-day program available for parents with children up to the age of three. It’s confidential, delivered by experienced staff, it’s a fairly home-like environment and you do the cycle of the day; eat, play, sleep,” Ms Sturgess said.

“It’s an opportunity for parents, with their child, to get good feedback on their parenting, ask questions, get instructive, informed advice on how their going in real time.

“It’s to build the parents’ capacity to attach with their child, and that’s critical. If children can attach to a carer, it sets them up for better opportunities in life in terms of being able to regulate their emotions, form relationships with other people, it makes them feel safe, nurtured, and it helps them to learn,” she said.

“If they’re in a safe and nurturing environment their brain has the best chance to develop normally. Working with traumatised children later on, we know typically they’ve had traumatised childhoods where they haven’t had anyone to attach.

“We’re thrilled to work with nought to three-year-olds because that’s early intervention.”