Community based care 27 March 2023

Designs released and construction is progressing on the new Casey Early Parenting Centre

Families in Melbourne’s south-east will soon have better access to early parenting support.

It’s been a busy start to the year with designs released and construction in full swing on the new multi-million-dollar Casey Early Parenting Centre.

Accessible video transcript

IMAGES: Artist’s impression of early parenting centre façade with trees and lawn in foreground.

ONSCREEN TEXT: Your new Early Parenting Centre in Casey.

IMAGES: Artist’s impression of reception area, with timber floors and reception desk. Parents with young children as well as receptionists, chat in the foreground. Followed by panning shot of sunlit room with parents seated on sofas and children playing on the floor with toys.

ONSCREEN TEXT: Reception area designed using natural materials.

IMAGES: Artist’s impression of meeting room with presenter at the front, with many people seated in rows in the foreground listening to presenter.

ONSCREEN TEXT: Multipurpose area featuring natural light and garden views.

IMAGES: Artist’s impression of family suite with large bed, desk and toys. Two parents play with their young children in the room. View then pans to ensuite in room.

ONSCREEN TEXT: Flexible family suites supporting different family structures.

IMAGES: Artist’s impression of large, carpeted play area with toys, with children playing and parents supervising.

ONSCREEN TEXT: Play areas encouraging play and learning.

IMAGES: Artist’s impression of kitchen with microwaves, and dining hall with parents and children eating pizzas and cupcakes. View of many tables, chairs, and child seats with large window to garden in background.

ONSCREEN TEXT: Kitchen and dining areas designed to feel like home.

IMAGES: Artist’s impression of manicured garden areas, with people eating lunch on benches and reading on grass. Followed by bird’s-eye view of the early parenting centre.

ONSCREEN TEXT: Outdoor areas for nature play and relaxing.

IMAGES: The closing slide is the Victorian Health Building Authority logo, the web address vhba.vic.gov.au and the Victorian State Government logo.

End of transcript.

Helping families achieve their parenting goals

Early parenting centres (EPCs) help families with children up to four years of age enhance their relationships and achieve their parenting goals. This will include:

advice and care for parents and carers
support with sleep and settling
support with feeding
extra care for babies and toddlers with additional needs.

Sleep and settling is one of the biggest challenges facing new parents. Around one in two parents who attend EPCs report problems with their child’s sleep.

Lack of sleep can lead to post-natal depression, isolation and stress for parents while affecting a child’s behavioural, mental and physical development.

About the new Casey Early Parenting Centre

The new centre will be located at 114 Newgrange Boulevard, Clyde North. It will include:

10 residential family units
four day-stay places
communal kitchen and dining area
multi-purpose rooms, including a playroom
outdoor play areas and landscaping.

Designs show a homelike environment

The final designs reveal the facility’s exteriors, kitchen and dining area and residential family units. These have been carefully considered to create a safe and serene environment where families can feel at home.

Childcare experts, local community groups and traditional owners were consulted as part of the design process. This helped to ensure the design reflects the community it serves.

Construction is expected to be completed in late 2023.

More centres on the way

The Casey Early Parenting Centre is being delivered as part of the Victorian Government’s $148 million investment to expand and upgrade the early parenting service network.

The program will upgrade two existing centres and build eight new centres in growing areas across metropolitan and regional Victoria.

Learn more about the early parenting centres expansion and upgrade via our dedicated project page.