- Cook Government delivering $39.5 million in funding towards perinatal and infant mental health support
- Funding in upcoming 2025-26 State Budget to provide free public access to Ngala's residential parenting service
- Ngala provides holistic parenting help and specialist advice
The Cook Government is delivering $39.5 million in funding to parenting support provider Ngala, to offer free mental health support to families going through a challenging time following the birth of a child.
The funding will deliver free public access to Ngala's residential parenting service, which offers early mental health intervention and prevention support, for the parents and baby, in a residential setting.
While in the residential setting, these families have access to a range of professionals including child health nurses, midwives, lactation consultants, mothercraft nurses, social workers and psychologists.
The service aims to reduce the number of hospital presentations due to mental health issues for parents and babies.
Comments attributed to Mental Health Minister Meredith Hammat:
"Ngala's residential parenting service has helped countless Western Australian families in times of crisis.
"Research shows residential parenting services in Australia improve maternal mental health, breastfeeding, parenting confidence, infant behaviour and sleep quality for parents and baby.
"The Cook Government understands the challenges families face following the birth of a child, so we want to ensure the best outcomes for the baby, parents and the entire family by making Ngala's residential services free and accessible to the families who need it.
"We are very proud to be supporting Ngala - an institution that has provided care and support to Western Australian families for decades."
