Geelong parents to lose vital sleep support service

Parents of newborns will soon lose access to a vital council-run sleep and settling program due to state government funding cuts, despite parents and leaders calling for them to remain,

Georgia O'Callaghan and her daughter Evie Dodds.

Parents of newborns will soon lose access to a vital council-run sleep and settling program due to state government funding cuts.

The state government quietly pulled funding for its group sleep and settling services, forcing the City of Greater Geelong to stop operating the program on July 3.

Following backlash, Children’s Minister Lizzie Blandthorn temporarily reinstated the program funding until August 19 – to give councils time to refer clients to other services.

The move was criticised by Geelong council’s executive director of city life, Anthony Basford, who vowed to write to Ms Blandthorn and urge her to reconsider.

“The sudden withdrawal will result in worsened mental health outcomes among new parents, diminished behavioural, mental, and physical development in children and increased demand on alternative services,” Mr Basford said.

“This vital program provides early intervention at a critical time when new parents are at risk of exhaustion and relationship breakdown.”
Mr Basford said stopping the service would put further pressure on other programs.

“New parents will now have to rely on our already overstretched universal maternal child health nurses for support, placing further strain on the system, with likely flow-on effects including increased mental health issues, family violence, and a surge in referrals to the city’s enhanced maternal child health service,” he said.

Georgia O'Callaghan and her daughter Evie.

Grovedale mum Georgia O’Callaghan first used the service in 2023 when her daughter Evie was six months old after being referred by her maternal child health nurse.

“(Evie) was very attached to me and to feeding, she wouldn’t settle,” Ms O’Callaghan said.

“Our biggest trouble was not getting her to sleep but for her to stay asleep.

“I was a mess – mentally, physically and emotionally exhausted because I wasn’t getting enough sleep.”

Ms O’Callaghan, who used the service intermittently until Evie was 18 months old, said having access to a free and non-judgemental service made a huge difference at a stressful time.

She said she was “disappointed (and) a little bit angry” when she heard the service would end.

“This is such a helpful service to so many mums who are struggling with getting their child to sleep,” she said.

“It helped me so much and I would hate to see that not continue.”

Minister for Children Lizzie Blandthorn. Picture: NewsWire / Josie Hayden

The group component of the sleep and settling program supported nearly 300 new families in Greater Geelong over 2024-25.

It’s understood the service was initially shuttered on July 3, and that council received just six weeks’ notice of the funding cuts, falling short of the three-month notice period required under the service agreement.

The state government would not commit to extending the service beyond August 19, saying the brief extension would allow referrals to be made to other services.

It also would not say why funding was being discontinued.

“Sleep and settling can be some of the toughest aspects of parenting – and that’s why the Victorian Government continues to provide comprehensive support through our free, statewide maternal and child health services,” a spokesman said.

Originally published as Geelong parents to lose vital sleep support service