Shepparton Early Parenting Centre

Members Statement: For many years we have called for the establishment of a residential mother-baby unit in Shepparton on the model of the Tweddle Child and Family Health Service. Over the years the terminology around such residential units has changed, and they are now called early parenting centres. In October 2020 the government announced Victorian health and family services would be responsible for the $123 million new early parenting centres to be established in seven locations, being Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Frankston, Casey, Wyndham and Whittlesea, but not Shepparton. The centres provide critical support for parents who need advice and support around caring for their babies. For years now mothers have been discharged from hospitals within days of delivering their babies and often prior to breastfeeding being established. Issues around feeding, sleeping and settling can be very important for young parents to deal with, and a residential support unit provides the setting for these issues to be addressed. Shepparton has all the key indicators which support the need for such a unit, including a high rate of teenage births, poor breastfeeding outcomes and many emotional and behavioural difficulties at school-entry level. We have worked hard advocating for this service. The hard work has been done and it is now ready to fund and build. It will help our community address many of its underlying issues which lead to more problems later on.