Ms THEOPHANOUS (Northcote): My constituency question is to the Minister for Health, and I ask: what is the current demand for maternal and child health, early parenting, perinatal and postpartum services in the electorate of Northcote? For almost four years I have pushed for an increase in services for infants, parents and families in the inner north. Pregnancy, childbirth and parenting impact us all in all kinds of ways, but one thing we know for sure is that families need support around them at this time. That can take many forms—physiotherapy after birth; mental health support for perinatal anxiety or birth trauma; help with breastfeeding, sleep and settling; specialist support for the baby; connecting with peers—and when families are supported, we know it makes for lifelong benefits. Yet many services, particularly early parenting centres, are not located in Northcote or even in the inner north more broadly. The first 1000 days are vital to a child’s development, yet wait times to access services can be months. In the world of a new parent, believe me, that is a lifetime. My community needs access to integrated care for parents and infants, and I will not stop pushing for Northcote to have these critical services.
