PARENT Place has expanded its range of child and family services in its central Ballarat location.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
More women’s health checks, drop-in maternal and child health nurse check-ups and playgroup are on offer through the week.
Fortnightly Tuesday morning story-time starts next week.
Brilliant Stars playgroup, held every Monday morning, has settled in well to the Sturt and Albert Streets corner location. The free, Baha’i-inspired playgroup explores virtues like love, kindness and service through stories, songs, craft and play.
Group co-ordinator and mother Kamelia Khosh said it was great to have the support of the City of Ballarat centre and other services it offered families.
“Parent Place is ideal for groups such as this,” Mrs Khosh said.
“We’re lucky to have access to such a central space with wonderful facilities for parents and young children.”
Parent Place is a free drop-in, toy-filled centre with change and feeding facilities on weekdays. City of Ballarat Family and Children’s Services run the centre with support from an energetic volunteer team.
The centre also offers support and information about child care, kindergarten, playgroups, immunisations and women’s health care.
Parent Place has a maternal and child health nurse on site each Wednesday, 10am to 2.30pm, with no appointment necessary. Parents can stop by for answers to parenting questions, quick consults, additional child weigh-ins, breastfeeding and general advice.
This complements children’s key ages and stages visits, which still must be made through the City of Ballarat’s Girrabanya, Cooinda (Wendouree), Buninyong and Sebastopol maternal and child health nurse centres. Girranbanya, on Steinfeld Street North, also offers weekend appointments on the second and fourth Saturday mornings of each month.
Nurses can provide up-to-date health information and referral as required as well as offer support on infant feeding and nutrition, sleep and settling strategies, child behaviour and development, and family health.
Parent Place’s new services also include a lactation consultant on Thursdays, 9.30am to 4.30pm, and women’s health checks on the first Thursday of the month from 9am to 12pm.
For more information on Parent Place events and programs, join ‘Parent Place – Ballarat’ on Facebook or phone 5320 5676. Or, for appointments at the City of Ballarat maternal and health centres, phone 5320 5155.
Parent Place is ideal for groups such as this. We’re lucky to have access to such a central space with wonderful facilities for parents and young children.
- Brilliant Stars co-ordinator and mother Kamelia Khosh
