Council Shocked as Sleep Program Funding Pulled

Sleep room at Monash Sleep and Settling Service

Monash Council is stunned by the Victorian Government's decision to withdraw more than $100,000 in funding from our sleep and settling program.

Monash Mayor, Cr Paul Klisaris, said the decision does not make sense given the Victorian Government's recent investment in a new facility housing our program.

"The Victorian Government invested $4.5m in our Dorrington Child and Family Hub in Mount Waverley, with Council contributing $2.4m to the $7m project.

"Construction was completed in January and is home to a range of early years services, including 66 kindergarten places and our sleep settling program.

"We can't understand why the Victorian Government would commit that level of funding and then remove support of a program central to the new hub's support for families.

"We don't want to reduce this crucial program for our community and will keep advocating to the Victorian Government to rectify this," added Cr Paul Klisaris.

About our sleep and settling program

Our sleep settling program creates a warm and inviting space with dedicated sleep

rooms. At our Dorrington Child and Family Hub in Mount Waverley, MCH staff look at the day in the life of a child and talk to parents about sleep strategies, feeding and family dynamics that may be impacting sleep patterns.

MCH staff also provide group sessions in both English and Mandarin. These sessions, which are affected by the funding cuts, are the entry point for families with education and practical strategies. They also help our MCH staff to identify families who may benefit from more intensive programs.

Without this funding, families may miss out on this early intervention, increasing demand for more intensive services and leading to longer waiting lists.

Last financial year, over 800 families sought advice from our sleep and settling service, with close to 300 families receiving outreach support and another 55 on the waitlist for support in the future.

Council already contributes more than 65% of the total cost to deliver the MCH service with Victorian Government funding covering the remaining costs. In 2024/25 Monash Council's contribution to the delivery of MCH services was more than $1.6M.

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