Overview
The Day Stay Program provides support and education for families experiencing early parenting difficulties, including:
- general parenting challenges
- feeding issues
- sleep and settling
- managing the requirements and needs of multiple babies
- child development and behaviour.
We provide a brief orientation to the facility and an outline of the program upon arrival, including:
- an assessment of your needs as parents
- practical strategies that can be used at home
- group education that takes into account each family’s individual requirements
- referrals for additional support services in the community.
The only cost for the day is a $5 nappy disposal fee.
We offer the following related services for families:
- Residential Program
- Parenting Education Workshops
- PlaySteps Program
Helpline Support:
Maternal and Child Health Line
13 22 29
A 24-hour telephone service for families of children aged from birth to school age.
Australian Breastfeeding Association
1800 686 268
A 24-hour breastfeeding helpline providing mother to mother breastfeeding support.
National Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Help Line
1300 726 306
Support and information on anxiety and depression before and after the baby is born. Operating Monday to Friday 10am–5pm.
Lifeline Australia
13 11 14
A 24-hour service providing crisis and suicide prevention services.
Men’s Line
1300 726 306
A 24-hour service providing professional telephone support, online support and information for men.
beyondblue
1300 22 4636
A 24-hour service providing information and support to achieve best possible mental health.
Parent Line
1300 30 1300
Provides phone counselling, information and referral service, operating seven days a week from 8am–10 pm.
Getting here
Find us at:
6 Mont Albert Road
Canterbury Victoria 3126
For more information on getting here, visit O’Connell Family Centre .
On-site signage and indicators
Look for the Mercy Health O'Connell Family Centre signs on-site.
How can people get access?
All entrances are locked after hours. Please ring the doorbell at the main entry and a staff member will open the door for you.
Opening hours
The Day Stay Program runs on Mondays from 8am–3pm.
Reception is open Monday to Friday, 8.30am-5pm.
Your appointment
What to do before
After we receive your referral, an intake staff member will call you to ask some questions. You will then be sent more information about the day. There will be some forms that you need to fill in and bring with you on the day. Please think about what your goals are so we can discuss them during the day stay program.
Your health and wellbeing
It is important that all family members are well enough to participate in the program. Please notify us if anyone participating in the program is unwell in the seven days before you attend. This helps us prevent the spread of infections at the centre. If you, or a member of your family, become unwell on the day of the program please let us know. If you are unable to attend, your booking will be rescheduled.
Allergies
Please let us know if you or your child has any allergies. Please bring an allergy management plan or an epipen as required. For everyone’s safety, we ask that you do not bring any nut products to the centre.
What to bring
Please bring the following items to the program:
- the completed forms we sent you
- Medicare card
- $5 for nappy disposal fee (cheque or cash)
- food for your child
- clothing for your child
- nappies and nappy bags
- two cot sheets and a blanket
- special toys or a dummy
- pram
- hat and sunscreen for outside.
If you use any of these items, please bring them along:
- sipper cup
- breast pump for expressing breastmilk
- formula and bottles.
What to expect on the day
The Day Stay Program runs from 8am–3pm.
We are a public hospital. The only cost is a nappy disposal service fee of $5, payable by cheque or cash. Please note we do not have credit card facilities available.
More information
Team Composition
Throughout your experience at the Day Stay Program, you may meet a range of specialists. Care is provided by a team of health professionals, including:
- maternal and child health nurses
- registered nurses and midwives
- enrolled nurses
- early childhood nurses.
What questions should you ask
When you are admitted, you will be asked to sign some documents, including privacy and public hospital admission forms. Your nurse will discuss what each form means for you. Each nurse cares for two or three families.
We will help develop an individualised care plan based on your family’s needs. This will help you work towards your specific goals.
You will be responsible for the care of your children while participating in the program. Our staff will guide, support and provide individualised strategies, with an understanding that you are the expert when it comes to your own child.
Discharge information
We provide morning tea and lunch for parents only. For catering purposes, please let us know if another adult is coming with you. You are welcome to bring your own snacks. You will need to bring your child’s lunch.
Please discuss any dietary requirements with staff before your arrival. We do our best to accommodate your dietary needs.
You will be given a written summary of the day to take home.
Who to call if you have concerns afterwards
Please call your maternal and child health nurse or doctor if you have any concerns after your stay.
For health professionals
Mercy Health O’Connell Family Centre is one of three statewide early parenting centres in Victoria.. We are focused on the needs of vulnerable families and young children aged from birth to four years old.
Our programs provide child-focused parenting skills to promote safe child development. Programs consist of parenting sessions, play steps groups, day stay and residential programs. Our services help families experiencing complex issues and who require increased support, in addition to the support provided by their local healthcare professionals.
Procedural information
All families require a referral from a health professional or community worker. This can include doctors, maternal and child health nurses or support workers.
How to prepare the patient
All families who have been referred to us receive a phone call from an intake nurse. This is when a risk assessment screening is carried out.
There is high demand for a residential stay for families who are experiencing challenges and wait times for this service can be lengthy. We ask that families who can be assisted by other community services be directed to those supports first.
We are a short-term intervention service for families and as such, we are unable to provide ongoing support after discharge. Families are referred back to their community providers once discharged.
What/when you should refer to us
The Day Stay Program will benefit families who have challenges with:
- becoming a parent
- feeding issues
- sleep and settling
- managing multiple births, e.g. twins or triplets
- toddler behaviour
- child development and behaviour
- mental health wellbeing.
What/when you should not refer to us
We are not a crisis service or an inpatient psychiatric mother baby unit service. Clients may wait one to three months from the day we receive the referral until participating in the program.
For the wellbeing of other participants, all families must be healthy when they attend our programs.
More information
Make a referral
Access Mercy Health O’Connell Family Centre referral forms and guidelines to make a referral for this service.
Donate to the Mercy Health Foundation
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Providing feedback
We value feedback from the people we care for, including from your families, friends, carers, and our broader community. Find out how to register a concern, complaint or compliment, or make a suggestion for improvement at Mercy Health.
