Early Parenting Centres (EPCs) are a free primary health service. They provide specialist support for Victorian families with children from birth and up to 4 years.
They deliver flexible, targeted services that aim to enhance the parent-child relationship. They also support parents with strategies to achieve their parenting goals such as:
- sleep and settling
- child behaviour
- parent and child health and wellbeing.
The Victorian Government is funding the expansion of Victoria’s EPC network. The initiative will:
- modernise and expand facilities run by two (2) of our existing centres
- build and establish nine (9) new centres
- and create an Aboriginal-dedicated centre.
Regional Victorian families will benefit from the first EPC facilities ever provided outside the metropolitan area, located in:
- Geelong
- Ballarat
- Bendigo
- Shepparton.
Facilities have also been built in Casey, Hastings, Whittlesea and Wyndham, some of our fastest-growing areas.
For more information about the construction of the new EPCs, visit the Victorian Health Building Authority website.
Who can access centres
All Victorian families with children from birth and up to 4 years who need more specialised or targeted support can access these services. Families do not require a Medicare Card to access services at an Early Parenting Centre.
This includes those who need to:
- strengthen parenting capacity and skills
- enhance parent-child relationships
- increase parental confidence in responding to their infant/toddlers needs
- build on their family's link with their community.
Early Parenting Centres also offer a range of other education, programs and parenting advice. Read more about these in the section How can families access their local early parenting centre?
Support provided at centres
EPCs are funded to provide:
- Residential: 24-hour multi-day centre-based intensive early parenting programs.
- Day stay: centre-based day programs provided at EPCs or at outreach locations.
- Group services: group-based programs attended by families, which are designed to improve parent-child relationships and interaction.
Referrals to Early Parenting Centres
Referrals to EPCs are usually from:
- maternal and child health services
- maternity services
- general practitioners
- Child FIRST (Family Information Referral and Support Team) and Child Protection – delivered by the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH).
There are currently 10 EPCs across the state. A further 3 in Hastings, Shepparton and Northcote are in the planning phase. These centres operate several satellite services across the state. Please contact the centres for more information.
Outcomes framework
The Early Parenting Centres Outcomes Framework was developed by Monash University and the Queen Elizabeth Centre (QEC) with extensive input from over 100 key stakeholders. Download a copy of the framework below:
The framework:
- maps the indicators and measures to be used across EPCs, to ensure the expanded EPC network meets the needs of Victorian families and children.
- includes an implementation plan that outlines strategies to help EPCs put the framework into practice.
Strategic framework
The Expanding Victoria's Early Parenting Centre Network 2019-24 Strategic Framework outlines the significant expansion and reform of Victoria’s publicly funded early parenting centres.
It aims to provide a foundation for engagement and collaboration as we move forward with this important initiative for Victorian families.
The information in this framework will support this engagement process. This will ensure that the new and expanded centres meet community needs and expectations as effectively as possible.
Model of Care
The Early Parenting Centre model of care describes how funded EPC services will be provided across Victoria.
It outlines the high-level purpose, eligibility, functions and role of EPCs in the health and wellbeing service network for children and families.
The model:
- supports consistent, high-quality service
- outlines the service specifications for commissioning new EPCs
- provides flexibility for services to be tailored to local needs.
The model of care is an iterative document and will be updated based on feedback from EPCs, service users and key stakeholders.
How are Maternal Child Health (MCH) services involved?
These new and upgraded EPCs form part of the Government's $213.7 million investment to provide parents with the information, extra support and care their family needs.
This includes:
- more enhanced maternal and child health home visits
- expansion of the 24-hour MCH phone line.
This will assist in the early resolution of parenting problems in order to boost:
- healthy child development
- parents' wellbeing
- positive family functioning.
EPCs offer tiered support and are part of the continuum of support offered to parents via the MCH Line, the universal MCH and enhanced MCH programs.
More information
For information for families, visit Early Parenting Centres support families on the Better Health Channel.
For more information on current and future EPC building projects visit the Victorian Health Building Authority website.
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