Early Parenting Groups are a series of four interactive webinars for new parents. Early Parenting Groups are a great way to meet and connect online with other parents in your local area and create a support network. A Ngala Child Health Nurse will give you useful tips and information about parenting, sleep, settling, feeding and child development. The Early Parenting Program is provided by Ngala and funded by the State Government through the Child and Adolescent Health Service.
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Ngala’s Circle of Security® ParentingTM Program
Ngala’s Circle of Security® ParentingTM Program
Ngala facilitates an eight-week Circle of Security Parenting program in partnership with Parenting Connection WA (PCWA) at a number of sites across Western Australia.
If you are interested in the Circle of Security Parenting program and live in the following areas, please contact your local PCWA region;
Gascoyne: [email protected]
Midwest: [email protected]
North West Metro: [email protected]
Please note: This program is for parents and caregivers. It is not a professional development program. If you enrol as a professional, you will be asked to cancel your booking.
About the Circle of Security® ParentingTM Program
What is Circle of Security Parenting?
Circle of Security Parenting is an eight session series based on decades of research. The program focuses on supporting and strengthening parent-child relationships by guiding you through new ways to understand and respond to your child’s behaviour.
The program was developed to help you notice ways to connect with your children. The focus is on supporting safe, responsive and protective relationships between children and the people that care for them.
The program runs for eight weeks, with a two-hour session each week. You will learn to:
- Increase your understanding of your child by learning about their emotional needs.
- Support your child’s ability to successfully manage their emotions.
- Support the development of your child’s self-esteem.
What happens in Circle of Security Parenting sessions?
Each week, Circle of Security Parenting facilitators use video and group discussions to explore your thoughts and beliefs about parenting and children.
This can be challenging at times.
You will be required to talk about and reflect on:
- your own struggles as a parent,
- your experience of being parented,
- how your partner’s experiences might be different from yours, and
- how your child’s experience might be different from yours.
How many people attend each session?
A maximum of 20 people attend each program.
Who are the facilitators?
All Circle of Security Parenting facilitators have received training and certification in Circle of Security Parenting. At Ngala, each session will be conducted by two accredited facilitators.
Do I need to attend every Circle of Security Parenting session?
Ngala recommends attendance at each session. This is because the content, learning and concepts are built and expanded on at each session across the eight weeks.
To successfully complete the program, you are required to attend all eight sessions.
We understand that family life can make this challenging. To help your family we can arrange the following;
- If you miss a session, you must come early the following week to have a catch-up session.
- No more than two of the eight sessions can be missed. A catch-up session must be attended for both.
You will only receive a certificate of completion if you complete the full program by meeting these requirements.
Ngala’s facilitators are obligated under their Circle of Security Parenting registration to follow the guidelines set by Circle of Security International.
What if I don’t have regular contact with my child?
A significant part of Circle of Security Parenting is reflective group discussion. Each week between sessions, you will be asked to observe your child’s behavior and your own responses and interactions with your child, then reflect on what you have learned.
It is possible for you to gain skills, knowledge and confidence by being part of this program if you do not have regular contact with your child/ren. However, we encourage you to discuss your family situation with our facilitators before enrolling to find out whether this program is the best fit for you.
Confirming your attendance
The Circle of Security Parenting program is popular and there are often waiting lists.
Once you have been offered a place in a program, you will be contacted via text message (SMS) to confirm your place.
Once you have confirmed your place via reply text, you will receive a phone call from a facilitator to introduce themselves and answer any questions you may have.
Ngala’s commitment to continual improvement
Your feedback is an important part of continual service improvement at Ngala.
You will have opportunities to give us verbal feedback at each session and written feedback at the end of the series.
What if I need further support?
Circle of Security Parenting is a stand-alone program. If you need further support outside the session times, please contact the local Parenting Connection WA contacts in your area.
You can also link to other parenting services by contacting the Ngala Parenting Line, 8am-8pm, 7 days a week on 9368 9368 or 1800 111 546 (country callers only*), or contact the Ngala Parenting Line online.
*The Ngala 1800 number is unable to provide guaranteed freecall access for all mobile service providers.
Parenting Connection WA and Ngala Parenting Line are not crisis services.
If you or your child require crisis support, please contact a 24-hour helpline.
Lifeline : 13 11 14
13YARN (crisis support designed, led and delivered by and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people): 13 92 76
1800 RESPECT (sexual assault & family violence counselling/referral): 1800 737 732
Alcohol and Drug Support Service : 9442 5000 or 1800 198 024 (country callers)
Crisis Care : 1800 199 008
Entry Point Perth : 6496 0001 or 1800 124 684 (crisis accommodation, Mon-Sat only)
Gambling Helpline : 1800 858 858
Health Direct : 1800 022 222 (health information and medical advice)
Kids Helpline : (ages 5 to 25): 1800 55 1800
Men’s Domestic Violence Helpline : 1800 000 599
MensLine Australia : 1300 78 99 78
Meth Helpline : 1800 874 878
Sexual Assault Referral Centre : 6458 1828 or 1800 199 888
Women’s Domestic Violence Helpline : 1800 007 339
Working Away Alcohol and Drug Support : 1800 721 997
If someone is in immediate danger, or a serious injury has occurred, call 000.
If English is not your first language, you can get free translation support through the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) by phoning 131 450.
If you are deaf or hard of hearing, you can make a Voice Relay call through the National Relay Service on 1300 555 727 or SMS Relay on 0423 677 767.
Meet new friends with babies: Weekly fun at Parenting and Play Time Calista
Don’t miss out on Parenting and Play Time at Child and Parent Centre – Calista!
Every Thursday from 1pm to 2.30pm, local families of children aged 0 to 12 months get together to:
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- Meet other local families and make new friends
- Learn about the important early years
- Find out about other groups and services near them to support their family
For more information, contact 9367 0960 or [email protected].
Just come along! Get directions to Child and Parent Centre – Calista on Harlow Road.
Laughs and good conversation guaranteed.
Country Families @ Ngala reaches 1000 member milestone
Regional child health service, Country Families@Ngala achieved an incredible milestone, when its 1000th member joined their interactive closed Facebook group.
Country Families@Ngala is an online parenting support service that provides virtual workshops, early parenting groups, private parenting consultations and a community based closed Facebook group to parents of children living in regional, rural and remote Western Australia. This service is delivered in partnership with the WA Country Health Services.
Members can access daily chats with a child health nurse, live discussions, as well as tutorials and workshops, covering essential topics like breastfeeding, sleep and settling, transitioning to family foods, toileting, transitioning to school, farm safety, resilience and screen time recommendations, to name a few.
Country Families@Ngala commenced in July 2018 and is a pilot program that provides essential support to the work of local child health services, by filling in gaps in service delivery caused by distance. All of the support is provided free of charge to country families by Ngala’s child health nurses and is available to families of children from 0-8 years.
“Country Families@Ngala is a telehealth partnership between Ngala and the WA Country Health Services. It is an essential service that provides virtual access to parenting support, for parents living in rural and remote areas across Western Australia”, said Ngala CEO Fiona Beermier.
“Country Families@Ngala is more than just an online platform, it really is a lifeline for many country parents who want to connect, learn and feel reassured in their parenting journey”.
Country families @Ngala’s 1000th Facebook group member, Ellen Maddock was delighted to find the online service and is already seeing the benefits for her family of five, “For many parents living in rural and remote areas of WA, traditional face to face services are not available”, said Ms Maddock.
Ms Maddock also commented, “For me Country Families@Ngala is a game changer. It’s such a relief to know there’s someone I can talk to when I have a parenting concern or question, or other parents to share this ride with. It really just gives me a lot more piece of mind”
Country Families@Ngala – the numbers:
- More than 1150 private parenting consultations delivered
- More than 1000 Facebook group members
- More than 270 live chats completed
- 19 tutorials delivered over the last 4 months
- 15 Facebook Live videos delivered over the last 5 months
- 72 workshops delivered
- 52 early parenting group sessions delivered
Parents using the service, in descending order of engagement, come from the following regions:
- South West
- Pilbara
- Wheatbelt
- Midwest/Gascoyne
- Goldfields
- Great Southern
- Kimberley
Country Families @ Ngala
Over the past five years, we’ve been honoured to bring you Country Families @ Ngala as a means to connect and support your growing rural families.
However, we regret to inform you that as of December 31, 2023, external funding for Country Families @ Ngala will conclude, leading to the program’s closure. Child Health Nurse consultations will continue to December 22nd, and this page will conclude on December 29th.
Our sense of pride in our achievements here is immense – from conducting online workshops, tutorials, and Facebook live sessions to delivering informative weekly posts. We’ve extended crucial support to country families through various means, including SMS for Dads, Facebook live chat sessions, video and telephone consultations, tailored group sessions, and early parenting groups (especially during the challenges brought about by COVID-19).
A heartfelt thank you goes out to our CF@N crew for their dedication over the past five years – Project Support Officer Des and Child Health Nurses Charlotte, Kylie, Angela, Jill, Jill S, Kate, and Leonie. Your commitment has made an immeasurable difference.
We are going to be parents
Pregnancy brings with it many emotions. Even if you planned pregnancy for a long time it can be a bit of shock. You are likely to be excited at first, then begin thinking of the big changes ahead.
The reality will take a little time to get used to as you wonder about the future. It is normal during early pregnancy to feel fatigued and perhaps a little anxious when the hormones start to kick in. It’s a new stage in your life for everyone involved. Adjusting to these big changes takes time, so go easy on yourselves and get support if you need it.
Who will care for mum-to-be and baby?
Your GP is your first contact to discuss the options. If you do not have a regular doctor, this is a good time to find one. Options may vary depending on where you live – you may need to travel to a bigger centre for the delivery.
Your GP will be able to refer you to the hospital or an obstetrician. If there are medical conditions that need to be considered, they will pass on this information to the relevant care provider.
It is important to register with the hospital or obstetrician as soon as you know you are pregnant so that your choices are not limited.
The Choices App (available on The Raising Children Network) can be very helpful. It has a week to week guide showing pregnancy progress, with useful tips for partners and how they might be involved during the early stages.
Once you have decided who is going to manage your care, there will be lots of tests to establish the health and wellbeing of mum-to-be and your developing baby. Your midwife or doctor will organise these tests. Being familiar with what will happen can lower any anxiety. More about monitoring and tests.
For women who have not planned the pregnancy, there may be a level of anxiety about the few glasses of alcohol, cigarettes or prescribed or recreational drugs they may have had at the time of conception. Find out more about smoking, alcohol and drugs during pregnancy.
Changes in relationships and lifestyle
There can be losses or changes in many relationships as you move from partners to parents. Pregnancy is a time for planning and preparing for your life changes and new role.
There may be health changes and physical effects from pregnancy. An expectant mother may have less energy and capability to keep up with household management and chores which have previously been agreed on, so it may be useful to discuss changes in household tasks.
“Nesting” may occur and mothers-to-be may feel the need to be at home and prepare for the baby a little earlier than planned.
Some practical details to address:
- How long you plan to work during your pregnancy
- Parental leave and pay entitlements
- If returning to work, when and how many hours
- Child care options
Allow enough time to work this out, but remain flexible. You may feel differently once the baby arrives and your lives and priorities change.
Financial changes
Budgeting and managing on one income, even for a short period, can add financial pressure. Some useful budgeting tools can be found at Moneysmart.
The arrival of new baby may put financial strain on the family.
Things you may need to budget for:
- Setting up nursery and other essential equipment
- Clothing
- Hospital and medical costs
- Ongoing costs (such as nappies)
Often, the working partner will feel worried about their role as a provider, so doing a little research together and finding out about available leave , tax and financial support is recommended.
Helpful advice and support
There is no shortage of advice around pregnancy and how to care for your baby from family, friends and experts.
While the internet has enabled us to have access to information at our fingertips, research is telling us that sometimes we want to talk to a real person who has had recent first-hand experience.
Our own family might help, but many of us are geographically isolated from our families. Talking with friend or meeting up with other parents at workshops or early parenting groups can be helpful.
Everybody has different feelings and expectations about parenthood. These may be influenced positively or negatively by your own experience of growing up in a family. Sometimes parents choose to parent differently to their own parents and this can sometimes create tension in families.
Talk to each other, talk to your family, and talk to your friends about your plans for parenting and seek their support.
Emotional health
It’s important to care for your emotional health during pregnancy and early parenthood as well as eating well, maintaining a healthy weight gain and getting enough sleep and exercise.
Many parents, both women and men, suffer postnatal depression or anxiety. It is wise to know the signs and symptoms so that you can seek help if you feel concerned.
If you have had depression, anxiety or other mental illness in the past, you may be at higher risk. Being aware of your history, and making a plan with your GP for getting help is important.
If you are experiencing family and domestic violence, or if you or your unborn baby are being exposed to harm, you can get help. Further support can be found at Child Protection and Family Support or at Reachout.com
Want to know more?
Raising Children Network – Week by week guide to pregnancy
Beyond Blue – New fathers and Pregnancy and new parents
Women and Newborn Health Service – Becoming a parent
The Raising Children Network – Antenatal depression and postnatal depression in women
Child and Parent Centres (CPC)
Our Child and Parent Centres are open to all families in the local community.
The Centres are there to help you give your children the best start in life.
The Centres offer workshops, programs and services that support families with children up to eight years of age, helping them to develop and learn during their early years. It is also a way to find out about and link in with other local family services and activities.
The Centre has family-friendly facilities, is welcoming and easy to access. It is a great place to meet other local families. Activities and services provided by Ngala and our partners may include:
Weekly playgroups (during school term)
Baby Rhymetime: 0-2years
Storytime: 2-5 years
Play Café: 0-5 years
Little Learners Playgroup 2-5 years
KEYS to Play: 0-5 years
Parenting & Play Time: 0-12 months
Transition to School programs for families with Kindy aged children
Child Health Services
Child Health Nurse appointment based service
Child Health Nurse Drop-in service:
Speech and Language appointment based service
Speech and Language Drop-in service
Child Immunisation appointment based service
Parent Meet Ups and Support
Early Parenting Groups: 0-3 months
Parents Cup ‘n’ Chat
MyTime Coffee and Chat – for parents of children with additional needs
Fun Time with Dad – Fathers’ Meet Up
Financial Counselling Drop-in service
One on one Parenting Consultation: appointment based service around sleep, nutrition, toileting and child behaviour
Parenting Programs and Workshops
Regular Triple P workshops and discussion groups around children’s behaviour
Circle of Security parenting programs
Ngala workshops around sleep, nutrition, toileting
Other programs around speech and language, literacy, first aid, water safety and much more
Baby Massage courses
We also provide school holiday activities and host family-friendly events.
Find out more about your local Child and Parent Centre visit:
Consumer and community engagement
Consumer involvement at Ngala
Ngala provides services and programs for parents, babies, children and young people from conception to 18 years. We partner with families and communities to help children thrive.
We are committed to engaging with our consumers, who include past, current and potential service users, their families, caregivers and community members.
Who are Ngala’s consumers
The term ‘consumers’ refers to families and children receiving our services or programs, and consumers may be called patients, participants, callers, customers or clients in different areas of Ngala.
Why is consumer involvement important?
Consumer involvement improves our service delivery and inclusivity. To understand community experiences and preferences, we need to hear diverse consumer perspectives.
All of Ngala’s services have systems in place for our consumers to have a say in our work.
How to be involved
We provide a range of opportunities for consumers and community members to help shape our services, research, and programs. These include:
- Infancy and Early Childhood Community Advisory Group
Ngala partners with Telethon Kids Institute to offer a community advisory group for parents and caregivers of infants and young children aged 0-6 years. Group members have their say about early childhood research and services at Ngala and Telethon Kids Institute.
Membership is open to any parent or caregiver with a child aged 0-6 years. No specific skills or experience is required, meetings are held quarterly, either online or in-person.
Members will be reimbursed in line with Consumer and Community Health Research Network Guidelines. Training opportunities are also available via the Telethon Kids Institute CONNECT Consumer Network.
You can find out more about the Infancy and Early childhood Community Advisory Group by clicking here.
To apply to the Infancy and Early Childhood Community Advisory Group, please complete the Expression of Interest. To find out more, please get in touch.
- RAP (Reconciliation Action Plan) Action Advisory Group
The purpose of Ngala’s RAP Action Advisory Group is to challenge, guide and influence the development and implementation of Ngala’s commitment to reconciliation, as outlined in our Reconciliation Action Plan.
Meetings are held every three months. Membership includes Ngala staff and Aboriginal community members from the Perth, Midwest and Gascoyne regions. If you are interested in joining this group, please get in touch.
- Fathering Advocates
Ngala is seeking dads and father figures with an interest in our services and research to help shape our work.
Fathering Advocates help us ensure that fathering perspectives are considered in all our services and research. To apply, please fill in the Expression of Interest or get in touch to find out more.
- Lived Experience Advocates
Ngala seeks the views of people with lived experience in guiding our research, evaluations, and service design.
If you identify as having a lived experience (such as disability, mental health, or LGBTQI+) please consider volunteering to be an advocate to help us understand the issues that affect you. If you are interested in this role, please get in touch.
- Children’s participation in research and evaluation
We are always seeking new ways to engage with children in our research and service design. If you have ideas for including children’s voices in Ngala’s evaluations or consultations, please get in touch.
- Community consultations
There are no consultations open at this time. Please check back in future or register your interest in consultation opportunities with [email protected]
- Compliments and complaints
Ngala wants to hear from families about your experiences with us. If you have any feedback about any of Ngala’s staff, services, or facilities, please email [email protected].
Consumer involvement in our services
- Early Learning and Development Service (ELDS)
Ngala actively seeks input, guidance and feedback from children in the planning and delivery of programs in our Early Learning Centres and Family Day Care service. We are committed to working in partnership with families to achieve the best outcomes for children in our services. Please see the ELDS Family Handbook for more information on our approach to family involvement.
- Ngala Residential Parenting Service
In our Residential Parenting Service, which includes Day Stays and Extended Stays, we involve parents in service planning and improvement through patient surveys and focus groups. Please contact get in touch if you wish to be involved in future consultations for Ngala’s Residential Parenting Service.
- Child and Parent Centre (CPC) Local Advisory Groups
Ngala’s Child and Parent Centres (CPCs) are located in Banksia Grove, Calista, East Waikiki and Rangeway/Geraldton. CPC Local Advisory Groups include local service providers and families, and help guide centre services to respond to local needs. To find your closest CPC, please visit our contact page.
- Parenting Connection WA (PCWA) NW Metro Local Area Partnership Group
PCWA’s NW Metro Local Area Partnership Group is made up of service providers and parents living in Perth’s North West metropolitan region. The group meets quarterly to provide advice and guidance to the local operations of Parenting Connection WA, informing practice decisions and enhancing local community connections. To find out more information or to join, please contact [email protected].
Get in touch
COVID-19 Resources and tips: High School children & Wearing Face Masks
At Ngala, we understand your child might have concerns about wearing face masks that are not linked to safety or COVID-19. While this response may not seem important to you or other adults, it is linked to your child’s development and how they relate to the world around them. A child of any age may have emotions attached to mask wearing.
Common reasons to resist mask wearing in this age group include:
- feeling silly
- not looking good
- concerns about their skin and the impact of mask wearing on their skin
- how the mask impacts their ability to be understood or understand others
- concerns about fitting in or standing out, for example, not having the same mask (type, colour) as friends
By taking the time to understand your child’s concerns, you can increase the likelihood of them correctly wearing their mask.
Here are some useful resources, which can help you when parenting through this new requirement of mask wearing, click on the links below:
Why are people wearing masks an covering their faces (0 to three years)
Talking to young children about wearing masks (0 to three years)
Supporting teenagers during COVID-19
How to talk to kids about wearing a mask (teenagers)
For parents with younger children, here are some additional key points and strategies on how you can communicate with your young child when wearing a face mask when outside your home:
- Turn to face towards your child and use lots of eye contact.
- Try speaking more slowly and clearly so your child can hear you through the mask.
- Use more expression so that your smile or surprise shows in your eyes.
- Use body language and gestures like nodding and touching your child gently to show you’re listening.
- Play charades to give your younger child practice in understanding and using body language, hand gestures and movement to communicate.
- Give your child more attention and face time when you’re at home together and you’re not wearing a mask.
As you know, only children aged 12 or older will need to wear a mask at school. If you have younger children they may choose to copy their older siblings and wear a facemask as well. If you’re wondering whether your child should be wearing a face mask in addition to other physical distancing measures, it’s important to consider:
- your child’s age and developmental stage
- your child’s medical history
- your child’s ability to put on, wear and remove a face mask correctly and safely
- your ability to provide close supervision while your child is wearing a face mask.
For information about children and face masks at school – you can contact the COVID hotline at 13 COVID (13 268 43) you can also read more here at healthy.wa
Information from this article has been taken from https://raisingchildren.net.au/guides/coronavirus-covid-19-guide/face-masks-coronavirus-children
If you have any parenting thoughts or queries, and would like one of our Practioners to contact you, please contact Ngala’s Parenting Line on 9368 9368.
Ngala announces collaboration with Ambassadors
As we move towards our 130th year of providing support to families in Western Australia, we are incredibly proud to introduce our Ngala Ambassadors: Professor Fiona Wood, Professor Donna Cross, Doctor Jackie Scurlock and Ms Kathleen Heath.
These four incredible women will work alongside Ngala as advocates, as we work to change the trajectory of child development in this state.
With their inimitable experience across the worlds of health care, paediatrics, justice and parenting, our Ambassadors will support Ngala as we advance into our next decade and beyond. We are exceedingly grateful for their commitment to Ngala and to the future of WA families.
Each Ambassador brings with them a remarkable body of work and achievement, but of most importance for Ngala is their passion and commitment to improving outcomes for Western Australia’s children.
This unique collaboration between Ngala – WA’s most established childhood development organisation – and this exceptional group of Ambassadors, creates a once in a lifetime opportunity to advance public awareness of childhood development and parenting issues across the state.
Professor Fiona Wood
To have an Australian Living Treasure and the 2005 Australian of the Year advocate for Ngala is an incredible honour. As a mother of four boys and two girls, Professor Wood is no stranger to parenting, while her dedication to her work in the medical and research fields has transformed lives across the globe. Professor Wood’s pioneering spirit in medicine and contributions to society for the benefit of children will be of enormous benefit to Ngala and the families it supports.
Professor Donna Cross
Professor Cross’ passion and commitment in the field of Early Childhood Development and Learning Collaboration provides the perfect synergy for Ngala, in her role as an Ambassador. In her everyday work, Professor Cross brings together families, clinicians, educators, policy makers, other practitioners and researchers to improve the development and learning of young children.
Dr Jackie Scurlock
Jackie has had a long association with Ngala. As a child her father’s pharmacy in Highgate supplied medication to The Alexandra Home (Ngala’s first facility).
Currently a Committee Member with the Friends of Ngala, Jackie was a general paediatrician at Princess Margaret Hospital until 2009 and has worked in private paediatrics in Subiaco and in newborn baby units in public and private hospitals in Perth, until her retirement in 2019.
Kathleen Heath
Kathleen brings to Ngala her experience of working in the justice system as a magistrate, particularly for juvenile cases for 10 to 17 year olds. Her experience allows her to provide an insider view of heartbreaking social and family situations, and the violence and abuse children can be exposed to.
Kathleen strongly believes in the objectives of Ngala and through her position and connections in the community and justice system she can “spread the word” to ultimately help children and parents gain access to this much needed support and resource.
We are exceedingly grateful for their commitment to Ngala and look forward to a successful partnership.