The Minns Labor Government is ensuring children with hearing loss and their families continue to receive the ongoing specialised support they need, contributing $20.4 million to The Shepherd Centre and NextSense NSW Paediatric Cochlear Implant Program as part of the 2026/27 State Budget.
The Shepherd Centre and NextSense partner with NSW Health through the Sydney Children's Hospitals Network and John Hunter Children's Hospital to deliver essential pre- and post-implantation care to children who receive a cochlear implant.
This funding will enable the two not-for-profit organisations to continue providing their essential care and specialist support services, including:
- Initial activation ("switch-on") of the implant, when children may hear sound for the first time
- Ongoing mapping (programming) and monitoring of the device
- Early intervention to support speech, language and learning development as well as social skills, enabling them to achieve the full lifelong benefits of their implant
- Family support services and education to foster listening and language development.
This support will help more than 1,000 NSW children with cochlear implants each year to achieve developmental milestones, build communication skills, and fully participate in school and community life to their full potential.
The investment will complement the NSW Government's Statewide Infant Screening Hearing program (SWISH), which screens all newborns for hearing loss by trained health professionals. The program supports early diagnosis and helps identify any additional support required, which is vital for children's overall development.
Children who need follow-up are referred to NSW Health children's hospitals for further hearing assessments and diagnosis by an audiologist.
Children who may benefit from cochlear implants are then referred to an ear, nose and throat specialist within the public system, before being connected with The Shepherd Centre or NextSense.
Since the Statewide Infant Screening Hearing Program began in December 2002, more than 2 million newborns across NSW have been screened for hearing loss.
The Minns Labor Government's State Budget will this year deliver a record $10.3 billion investment over four years to deliver more services - the largest increase to the health budget in the state's history.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Health Ryan Park:
"I am so pleased to announce that NSW Health will partner with The Shepherd Centre and NextSense to deliver essential pre- and post-implantation care to children who receive a cochlear implant.
"Early diagnosis, technology and surgery are just the start. Children need specialist support before and after cochlear implantation to learn how to interpret sound and fully benefit from this remarkable technology - and this funding recognises that."
"We know how important it is to identify hearing loss early and provide the right support. This funding supports children with cochlear implants to develop communication skills, confidence and independence - essential skills for education and socialisation."
Quote attributable to David Dinte AM, President of NextSense:
"Australia leads the world in cochlear implant technology - and getting a cochlear implant can be life-changing for a child. But it's what comes next that is crucial, to ensure they can get the most out of their device. When combined with high-quality early intervention support, children can achieve incredible outcomes and require fewer hearing supports later in life.
"This funding will go a long way to ensuring NextSense and our First Voice partner, The Shepherd Centre can provide the best possible care for children with cochlear implants.
"It is wonderful that the NSW Government has recognised the vital importance of early, sustained support for children who are deaf or hard of hearing through this substantial funding commitment."
Quotes attributable to Dr Aleisha Davis, Chief Executive Officer of The Shepherd Centre:
"This funding is a landmark investment in children with cochlear implants and their families. It provides certainty for families that specialist support will be available from the earliest stages, when they need it most.
"Cochlear implants can provide access to sound, but specialist care before and after surgery is what helps children learn to interpret that sound, develop communication skills and build confidence using this technology.
"We are grateful for this $20.4 million investment over four years, and to the many families, clinicians and advocates who helped demonstrate why this care truly matters."
