They say it takes a village to raise a child.
For Loddon Mallee parents needing help to sooth their babies, that village is now located in Bendigo.
Thanks to the opening of the Wayipunga Bendigo Early Parenting Centre, parents like Amy Vegter no longer have to travel hours for sleeping support.
“We were originally booked in to go to Melbourne, but when we got the call that the centre here was opening, it was just great,” she said.
The centre, operated by Bendigo Health, is a wellness service that provides specialised support to families with children from birth to four years of age, to enhance their relationships and achieve their parenting goals.
The free service available to all Loddon Mallee residents provides specialised support for sleep and settling, feeding, parent-child relationships and parent-child health and wellbeing.
Amy said she struggled to get her son to sleep for long periods of time, but with help from staff, she felt a lot more confident in how to help her baby.
“It’s cemented my knowledge on the cues to look out for and that I can be a bit firmer with him, I won’t break him,” she said.
“It’s good to learn different ways to get him to sleep, some different positions to put him in to help.”
Pronounced (way-pung-aa), Wayipunga is a Dja Dja Wurrung word meaning to help/support.
Wayipunga Bendigo Early Parenting Centre Director of Nursing, Jaimee Oxford, said the team keeps this in mind every day when providing their care.
“This is the basis for our service provision at this facility,” she said.
“We want clients to be able to attend and be supported by our experienced staff, which includes maternal child health nurses and nurses and midwives with a background in perinatal mental health.
“We will operate on a nurse led model of care. It’s not a sleep school. Babies are not left to cry or in distress.”
The purpose-built facility in Havlin Street, Kennington, will operate as a day-stay program before eventually providing an overnight stay service in mid-2025 and telehealth support
The centre was officially opened by the Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan and Member for Bendigo West Maree Edwards on February 21, 2025.
To learn more about the EPC, visit: Bendigo Health Website - Wayipunga Bendigo Early Parenting Centre