New parents seeking specialist care and support in the early years of parenting will have access to services closer to home, with inpatient beds for Tresillian secured as part of the $110.2 million Cowra Hospital redevelopment.
Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke said the expanded project scope includes two beds dedicated to a new Tresillian residential inpatient service.
“It is terrific that the new Cowra health facility will have the scope to provide parents and carers in the broader central west with access to professional support much closer home,” Ms Cooke said.
“The Tresillian residential program is a service for families experiencing significant parenting challenges that may require intensive intervention and strategies to promote family health and wellbeing.”
Ms Cooke said the two inpatient beds will be a welcome addition to the Tresillian day service established at Cowra over the past 12 months and the Tresillian2U mobile van to be based in Bathurst.
“I first called for a Tresillian Residential Unit for Cowra in August 2020 after touring the new Tresillian unit at the $73 million redeveloped Macksville Hospital.”
“Several of our neighbouring councils provided letters of support to back in this campaign, understanding families in their own communities would benefit from this service being established in the area.”
“I am grateful to those who got involved in this effort, including Cowra Mayor Bill West, CENTROC and Tresillian CEO Rob Mills, allowing us to make a strong case to the Western NSW Local Health District and Minister for Women, Regional Health and Mental Health Bronnie Taylor.”
Tresillian CEO Rob Mills said it is fantastic the organisation will further expand their footprint in regional NSW, providing professional advice, education and guidance to regional families in partnership with the Western NSW Local Health District.
“The addition of Tresillian’s residential beds at the redeveloped Cowra Hospital will be a real game changer. It will mean we will be able to provide more parents with more services and more support. Our range of new services in the region will help us to deliver on Tresillian’s vision, which is to ensure every child has the best possible start in life,” Mr Mills said.
“The new residential beds will complement the recently opened Tresillian Family Care Centre and will help us to ensure people living in the region have quick and easy access to support. Previously anyone in western NSW wishing to access a Tresillian Residential Unit needed to travel to Sydney. We are really looking forward to working on ensuring locals have a joyous and fulfilling parenting experience.”
Tresillian is a not-for-profit helping parents and carers of newborns, toddlers and pre-schoolers experiencing sleep difficulties, feeding problems, supporting multiple babies and toddler behaviour challenges, whilst also focusing on the emotional wellbeing of the family. In 2018-19 the NSW Government committed $2.2 million over 4 years to establish five new Tresillian Family Care Centre Hubs across the state as part of the $157 million Parents Package. In 2021-22 Tresillian received a further $12.2 million over 2 years to establish 6 Regional Family Care Centres (including Cowra), 5 ‘Tresillian 2U’ vans to provide mobile community support to families with infants and children, and resourcing for the Macksville residential unit.
The Tresillian Family Care Centre at Cowra is set to be officially opened later this year, with staff already taking individual referrals and holding group sessions.
Families seeking parenting support can call Tresillian’s Parent’s Help Line on 1300 272 736 Monday to Friday. For more information, including advice, tips and support please visit https://www.tresillian.org.au/
