First thousand days of support for CQ parents on trial

Free text messaging service aimed at providing parents with information and resources undergoes UQ trial

TRIAL SERVICE: MIchelle Landry MP with Gemma and Lincoln Hiskens at the Parent Link trial rollout at Rockhampton's art gallery. Picture: Jann Houley

GEMMA Hiskens has two preschool boys and works from home in the evenings so she welcomes any extra information about resources available to her family.

"It's a really challenging time so any free support is really appreciated," the bookkeeper said.

"I have a great church family but I don't have any relatives in Rockhampton so I always find any added advice valuable."

She attended the Messy Mondays session at the art gallery with twenty-month old Lincoln today where Michelle Landry MP announced the roll out of an online trial.

Being at home with a new baby is a challenge with which Ms Landry, the Assistant Minster for Children and Families, can identify.

"I always say, with my first baby, I didn't get out of my dressing gown before lunch for the first six weeks," she said.

Parent Link is a free text messaging service aimed at providing parents with information and resources from twenty weeks pregnancy up to the child's second birthday.

"This unique period of 1,000 days is crucial to lay foundations for optimum health, growth and neurodevelopment that lasts a lifetime," Ms Landry said.

"The Parent Link trial aims to build parenting skills and behaviours early on so we can explore better ways to support parents across Australia in the long term."

Rockhampton/Livingstone, Ipswich and Toowoomba families can access the service by subscribing online at the Department of Social Services, after which they will receive free text messages tailored to their child's needs.

Local coordinator organisations in each region will also offer tailored training packages to service providers involved with early childhood interactions.

Parents will also be able to text questions to the service number in order to find out which Government program can offer them help.

The trial aims to build a collaborative learning network which can inform the government about the efficiency of a technology-based approach.

The three-region trial will be evaluated by University of Queensland researchers after it ends on December 31 this year.

It is funded by the federal government as Third Action initiative from the National Framework for Protecting Australia's Children 2009-2020.

Originally published as First thousand days of support for CQ parents on trial