News

Associate Professor David Fuller, Women's and Children's Directorate Clinical Director

Families find welcoming a new child an exciting time with many memorable and cherished moments. For most parents, there is so much to learn and discover as adjusting to becoming a parent is not always instinctive. Each child is different and each family is unique. Navigating parenting is all part of the way families grow and thrive.

Some families face extra challenges including difficulty with sleep patterns and routines, behaviour, feeding or responding to developmental stages. Parents can also experience increased stress and anxiety sometimes exacerbated by a lack of sleep and support or new and pre-existing mental health issues. GPs and maternal child health nurses are the first contact point and mainstay of supporting families with young children. However, sometimes specialist support is needed and soon Barwon Health will be able to offer another level of support for families in our region.

The new Barwon Early Parenting Centre construction is now complete and services will start opening over the next month for families with babies and children up to the age of four. Located at the McKellar Centre in Geelong, the new Centre will respond to referrals from health professionals, as well as enquiries from families from the Barwon South West region.

Previously families would have to travel to Melbourne to access these services, so we are pleased to now be able to offer the services closer to home.

The health team at the Centre will include maternal child and health nurses, midwives, early parenting practitioners, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, play therapists, paediatricians and social workers.

Families might access a clinic (including via telehealth), attend a group with other parents, receive a home visit, or attend the Centre or a full day program. The Centre will also have capacity to support up to ten families each week in a four-day residential program for more intensive work.

The health professionals at the Barwon Early Parenting Centre are committed to listening and working with families to address their unique challenges. This may include help with managing sleep, addressing challenging behaviours, or better understanding children’s needs. The health professionals will be there to work with families.

I am excited that Barwon Health will be able offer this support to families in our region, as we know it will make a difference in the lives of many parents and families during such a critical time.

This new Early Parenting Centre is one part of a range of new and expanded services for children in our region that will provide more specialised care and cohesive services leading to better outcomes for children. We have our new children’s emergency department opening soon and early works are now underway for the new Barwon Women’s and Children’s facility. We look forward to sharing stories with the community about the many ways parents and their young children are accessing support to make the early years healthier and more positive for the entire family.