Ararat Rural City Council's Maternal and Child Health service will move to East Grampians Community Health Centre in the first week of August, to a brand-new home with more room to move.
Council CEO Dr Tim Harrison said the move would mean a much newer facility for the service's two Maternal and Child Health Nurses, Therese Arnott and Brooke Jess, and larger facilities for families.
Dr Harrison said the service would now have two consulting rooms if needed instead of just one, an administration office and lots of storage space, with another huge benefit being the proximity to allied health services such as dental, physio, speech pathology and dieticians. The service's new location is right next to the Toy Library, where parents' group gatherings will be held in future.
The new facility would also have two dedicated "parents with prams" parking spaces.
"Being situated in the same building as other health professionals will make it much easier for families to be referred to specialists if needed," he said.
The doors of the current Maternal and Child Health service at 60 High Street, Ararat, will close for a week from August 5 to allow for the move, but the nurses will still be available over the phone and will continue their home visits during this time. The centre will reopen in its new location on August 10.
Monthly immunisation sessions will continue as normal in the new facility, on the third Wednesday of the month, with the next session on August 21.
"Our nurses are really looking forward to the move as it will mean a bigger and brighter space for them to help our new parents and their new arrivals," Dr Harrison said.
The new Maternal and Child Health Centre rooms will be located at East Grampians Community Health Centre in Girdlestone Street, Ararat.
Image above: Maternal and Child Health Nurse Therese Arnott in the former MCH Centre in High Street, Ararat.
