New parents get new support service

KENNINGTON is set to the home of an early parenting centre aimed at connecting new parents with local support services.

The centre will provide specific advice around sleeping and settling, feeding, and care for children with additional needs.

Director of nursing and midwifery at Bendigo Health, Shelly Hardingham, said previously families wanting to access these services needed to travel to Melbourne.

“Locally we haven’t been able to meet this need,” she said. “Sometimes it’s just a day program but some families may require a five-night stay.

“The early learning centre will feature 10 residential family suites and four day stay suites and there’s also space in the facility for day programs, such as support for dads and diverse families.”

According to the State Government, around one in two Victorian parents attending early parenting centres report problems with their child’s sleep, which can lead to post-natal depression and stress for parents and impact a child’s development.

Member for Bendigo West, Maree Edwards, said the State Government has invested $123 million in seven early parenting centres across the state.

“Bendigo’s new early parenting centre will deliver flexible, targeted services to help parents with sleep and settling issues, supporting hundreds of local families a year,” she said.

“Becoming a parent can be one of life’s greatest challenges and there will be times when new parents need a little extra help to ensure their children get the best start in life.”

The new facility will be located at Bendigo Health’s Community Care Services site at 37 Havlin Street East, with construction expected to be finished late next year.