31 May 2019

Tresillian named as new service provider for QEII Family Centre

| Ian Bushnell
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Queen Elizabeth II Family Centre in Curtin: a new provider is moving in. File photo.

NSW not-for-profit Tresillian Family Care Centres will take over the running of the Queen Elizabeth II (QEII) Family Centre in Curtin from the Canberra Mothercraft Society on 1 July.

Tresillian won a tender process for the service and will begin operating after a month-long transition period starting next week.

The Society announced its departure in March after 56 years of delivering family services, saying it could no longer provide the scale and complexity of service required.

President Fiona Smith du Toit said then that it was time to hand over the QEII baton to a new provider.

Tresillian is a not-for-profit organisation that assists close to 60,000 Australian families each year, helping parents gain confidence in their new roles by teaching them about routines in breastfeeding, sleep, settling and nutrition.

Tresillian already delivers residential family services at Canterbury, Willoughby and Nepean inpatient Residential Units for families with more complex parenting issues. They also deliver a range of day services, including in Queanbeyan, a parents helpline and live advice service.

Minister for Health and Wellbeing Meegan Fitzharris said the focus was now on achieving a seamless transition from one provider to another, ensuring no disruption for those families using the service.

“With over 100 years of experience and Tresillian’s expertise providing these specialised services in other jurisdictions, this is a great outcome for our community. And Canberra families can feel confident they will continue to get wonderful support at QEII,” she said.

Ms Fitzharris thanked the Society for its significant contribution to the Canberra community over decades.

“I would like to take this opportunity to again thank CMS and welcome their continued and ongoing service to families through their Community Development Programs,” she said.

“I particularly wish to thank the staff working at QEII both past and present, for the many years of service and care they have provided to ACT families. I welcome their continued and ongoing service to families at QEII.”

QEII will continue to accept new clients and provide the same types and level of service throughout the transition period and beyond, but there will be a short break in service over the weekend commencing 29 June, to allow for completion of lease-related arrangements.

QEII has been supporting families in Canberra since 1963. It is a public hospital providing residential primary health care programs for families with young children (0-3 years) experiencing complex health and behavioural difficulties in the postnatal and early childhood periods.

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