Sod turned on new Geelong Early Parenting Centre

The Premier Daniel Andrews joined Member for Geelong Christine Couzens and Member for Lara John Eren at the site of a planned Early Parenting Centre in North Geelong on Friday.

Mr Andrews announced the multi-million dollar project at Barwon Health’s McKellar Centre shortly after turning the first sod

The Early Parenting Centre will support parents and carers with advice and care they need, including help with sleep and settling, feeding, and extra care for babies and toddlers with additional needs.

The facillity is designed to help families with children up to four years of age to enhance their relationships and achieve parenting goals. 

It will have 10 residential family units, four day-stay places, as well as cooking and dining facilities, and indoor and outdoor play areas.

The Premier said the construction will provide hundreds of jobs, and early estimates show at least 500 families will benefit from the facility

“This new centre will deliver flexible, targeted services to help parents in Geelong and the surrounding areas with sleep and settling issues, supporting hundreds of local families a year.”

Member for Geelong Christine Couzens said Geelong families will benefit greatly from the new centre

“We’re giving new parents from across the region the support they need, close to home, by building a new early parenting centre here in Geelong. The new centre will offer parents that expert support that many of us need.”

Member for Lara John Eren said it’s all about giving families help and assistance in it’s earliest stages

“This is about helping local families get the support they need to give their children the best start in life.”

Sleep and settling is one of the biggest challenges facing new parents, with around one in two Victorian parents who are attending the early parenting centres reporting problems with their child’s sleep.

This can lead to post-natal depression, isolation and stress for parents and affect a child’s behavioural, mental and physical development.

 

 

 

 

Images:

Top: Brian Cook and Daniel Andrews turn the first sod, watched on by John Eren and Christine Couzens [L. Zacher]

Middle: Artist’s impressions of the new Early Parenting Centre [Supplied]

Bottom: Daniel Andrews fronting a media conference at the site of the new Early Parenting Centre, flanked by (L-R) Frances Diver, John Eren, Brian Cook and Christine Couzens [L. Zacher]