O'Connell Family Centre (Mercy Health)

Public sleep support in Victoria

O'Connell Family Centre (Mercy Health) is a public sleep support service in Victoria, for 0-4 years. Free. You can refer yourself, without a GP.

At a glance

  • Cost Free
  • Ages 0-4 years
  • Referral You can refer yourself

Contact

About O'Connell Family Centre (Mercy Health)

Mercy Health early parenting centre in Canterbury offering residential and day stays plus group sessions for sleep, settling and feeding.

How support is offered

  • Residential stay
  • Day stay
  • Group programmes

Worth knowing

Victorian Government funded. Located in Canterbury.

What sleep support costs

Public early parenting centres are free or heavily subsidised, usually reached through a maternal and child health nurse or a GP referral. Private consultants are paid privately and rates vary. Some health funds contribute through extras.

When families reach out

When sleep has become the thing making everything else hard. Approaches vary widely and there is no single right one, so it is worth finding a service whose approach sits comfortably with you rather than one you will fight against at 3am.

Questions worth asking

  • What is your approach, and what will it ask of me and my baby?
  • Do you adapt it for a breastfed baby, or for co-sleeping?
  • What does the programme involve day to day, and how long does it run?
  • What does it cost, and is any of it subsidised?
  • What follow-up is included once the programme ends?
  • What happens if it is not working for us?

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