UNIVERSAL CONTACT VISITS

Ms BETTISON (Ramsay) (14:46): My question is to the Minister for Education and Child Development. Can the minister inform the house about the home visiting services for new parents?

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE (Wright—Minister for Education and Child Development, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (14:46): I thank the member for Ramsay for her question. In November 2003, less than halfway through this Labor government's first term, we launched the Every Chance for Every Child program. In 2013 we celebrate a decade of improved services and support for new parents and their children.

A key element of the program is the Universal Contact Visit that is offered to all mothers following the birth of a child in South Australia. It began as a trial in 2003-04, was expanded across the state and is now delivered by 230 staff from 120 locations. The visits combine a health check for the baby with critical support information for new mums, screening for postnatal depression and referral to additional services. This service is usually provided in the home, but the huge number of staff and locations means new mums can get the help wherever it is safest and most convenient for them.

Since 2007, we have completed over 100,000 of these visits and a few weeks ago I had the privilege of meeting a mother who recently received a visit following the birth of her fifth child. The mother (Amanda) told me that, even though baby (Daisy) was her fifth, she still required the support and assistance offered by the CAFHS nurse, even more so than when she had her other children, because she underwent a caesarean this time.

These visits are recognised as best practice in early intervention and, where suitable, families may be referred to additional programs, as I said, focused on acute medical or social factors or that provide parenting advice and support for up to two years. While some families may not require additional help, the only way to ensure that every child has every chance to succeed is to make sure that every mother is offered a helping hand right from the beginning. This is truly an investment in the future, and it pays dividends. I can assure the house that we will continue with this really important program—another great initiative in helping to protect children here in South Australia.