Ngala expansion sees Cook Government deliver on $38.5 million promise to help new parents find ‘structure’

Bookings have opened for Ngala’s expanded residential parenting service, thanks to the Cook Government’s $38.5 million election commitment to help sleep deprived new parents.

The service will now be free and open seven days a week, to help mothers like Gemma Canalini who spent a week at the purpose-built facility in Kensington.

“We just didn’t feel ourselves. Now we have a bit of structure in our day,” she said.

“Before his naps were all over the place. I just feel like a new person with some sleep . . . and we really noticed that he was waking up happy, not crying, grumpy.”

Gemma’s son Ned made quite an impression on Roger Cook and Health Minister Meredith Hammat, who recalled their own experiences as new parents.

“I remember when Toby was about to be born, my older brother-in-law said ‘you’re about to enter the most wonderful and most terrifying period of your life, and he was right,” the Premier joked.

Some parents are already being warned there is a four month wait list for Ngala, but chief executive Michelle Dillon said the funding boost would ensure more parents have access and don’t have to pay for help.

“This will allow us to see up to 1700 families a year. Last year, we were only able to see 700 families and we saw a huge number of cancellations due to the financial cost,” Ms Dillon said.

Ngala support can currently cost up to $7000 without private health cover or up to $1000 out of pocket, even with insurance and a doctor’s referral.

“This takes away all those barriers, they can self refer,” Ms Dillon said.

“They’ll all be clinically triaged . . . we’ll be really tackling that (wait time) and we’ll be monitoring that and seeing what else we can do to support those families.”

Mr Dillon described sleep deprivation as a form of torture.

“It has a really serious link to post-natal depression,” she said.

“Parents want to do the right think, so they will be awake with their child and they’re surviving on broken sleep, sometimes 15 minutes at a time and driving they’re car the next day, working.

“It really has a very detrimental effect on the whole family.”