Wednesday, 14 August 2024

 Ryan BATCHELOR (Southern Metropolitan) (12:56): (1021) My question is for the Minister for Children. How is the Labor government supporting new parents and their babies in the Southern Metropolitan Region? During World Breastfeeding Week at the beginning of August, I visited the North Brighton maternal and child health centre, a fabulous centre in North Brighton, with the Minister for Children. We spoke to new mother Katie, who told us about the terrific support that she had received at the centre to establish breastfeeding with her newborn son Paris. The lactation service at the centre is in high demand. We spoke to Val, the maternal and child health nurse there, who told us just how critical the services at that centre are to support new parents and particularly new mothers. This year’s state budget had an allocation of a further $28 million to meet the growing demand for maternal and child health services here in Victoria. The North Brighton Children’s Centre also recently received a grant of $600,000 to upgrade its kindergarten rooms. This Labor government is supporting families across the Southern Metropolitan Region.