More than 5,000 families across NSW have benefitted from free nurse home visits as part of the Sustaining NSW Families program.
Introduced in 2010, the program has gradually expanded to identified areas in 14 local health districts. The Sustaining NSW Families program sees child and family health nurses partner with parents and carers to provide regular assessments, tailored programs, and referrals to other support services they may need during the early years of childhood.
The program is offered to families who meet eligibility criteria which include mothers experiencing mild depression or anxiety and circumstances which can have an impact on the family.
Women are referred to the home visiting program during pregnancy and supported regularly until their child turns two.
To help parents and carers, each Sustaining NSW Families team consists of a nurse coordinator, child and family health nurse home visitors, supported by a social worker and a team of allied health professionals. Clinicians work in partnership with other service providers, including general practitioners and maternity care providers.
The program complements the range of services provided at local health district Child and Family Health centres.
Further information on Sustaining NSW Families is available at Sustained Health Home Visiting.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Health Ryan Park:
"All children deserve the best start in life, and this program helps some families who need a bit of support, give their children just that, the best start in life."
"Sustaining NSW Families is just one of a number of NSW Government initiatives aimed at improving the health and social outcomes of families and children."
"This vital program helps empower families to care for their child and provides them the right information, at the right time, to give their child the best start to life."
Quotes attributable to Member for Wallsend Sonia Hornery:
"Families in the greater Newcastle area, that covers Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Raymond Terrace, Port Stephens extending up to the lower mid-coast as well as the lower Hunter area are among the 5,000 families across NSW who have benefitted from this program."
"Regardless of whether they are welcoming their first child or their fifth - the child and family health nurses and the multidisciplinary support provided by the program can be crucial to families as they start a new chapter."
