New mums and dads will soon have better access to early parenting support in a purpose-built facility.
Construction is now underway for a new multi-million-dollar Early Parenting Centre in Geelong.
Then-Premier Daniel Andrews in August turned the first sod on the new Early Parenting Centre at Barwon Health’s McKellar Centre in North Geelong.
“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,” he said.
Designed to help families with children up to four years of age enhance their relationships and achieve their parenting goals, the new centre will have 10 residential family units, four day-stay places, a kitchen and dining area, playrooms and outdoor play areas.
It will provide parents and carers with the advice and care they need, including support with sleep and settling, feeding, and extra care for babies and toddlers with additional needs.
Sleep and settling is one of the biggest challenges facing new parents, with about one in two Victorian parents who attend early parenting centres reporting problems with their child’s sleep.
This can lead to postnatal depression, isolation and stress for parents and affect a child’s behavioural, mental and physical development.
The final designs for the multi-million-dollar centre revealed the facility’s exteriors, kitchen and dining area and residential family units, which were carefully considered to create a safe and serene environment where families could feel at home.
The project’s architects, Brand Architects, consulted childcare experts, local community groups and traditional owners as part of the design process to ensure the design reflected the community it serves.
Natural light, rooms suitable for various family arrangements and a domestic feel were some of the priorities included in the final designs.
The colour palette was developed to mirror the landscape in Geelong and the wider Barwon region, featuring colours inspired by the native flora and environment.
The centre is being delivered by the Victorian Health Building Authority (VHBA) in partnership with Barwon Health and the Tweddle Child and Family Health Service, with construction expected to be complete at the end of 2023.
