KENNINGTON is set to the home of an early parenting centre aimed at connecting new parents with local support services.<\/p>\n
The centre will provide specific advice around sleeping and settling, feeding, and care for children with additional needs.<\/p>\n
Director of nursing and midwifery at Bendigo Health, Shelly Hardingham, said previously families wanting to access these services needed to travel to Melbourne.<\/p>\n
\u201cLocally we haven\u2019t been able to meet this need,\u201d she said. \u201cSometimes it\u2019s just a day program but some families may require a five-night stay.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe early learning centre will feature 10 residential family suites and four day stay suites and there\u2019s also space in the facility for day programs, such as support for dads and diverse families.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to the State Government, around one in two Victorian parents attending early parenting centres report problems with their child\u2019s sleep, which can lead to post-natal depression and stress for parents and impact a child\u2019s development.<\/p>\n
Member for Bendigo West, Maree Edwards, said the State Government has invested $123 million in seven early parenting centres across the state.<\/p>\n
\u201cBendigo\u2019s new early parenting centre will deliver flexible, targeted services to help parents with sleep and settling issues, supporting hundreds of local families a year,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecoming a parent can be one of life\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
The new facility will be located at Bendigo Health\u2019s Community Care Services site at 37 Havlin Street East, with construction expected to be finished late next year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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 […]<\/p>\n