A revamped $2 million Neighbourhood House at Deer Park will kickstart Australia’s first, purpose-built safe haven for children of separated parents.
Site owners Comm Unity Plus, formerly known as Community West, said the Ballarat Road project had been two years in the making.
Comm Unity Plus chief executive Rachna Muddagouni said the new service would ensure safe, onsite changeovers and supervised visits for children and their separated parents.
“It is the first purpose-built child contact service developed in Australia,” she said.
“The building [will have] custom-built playrooms, child-friendly equipment and separate entrances to ensure parents who are in high conflict don’t have contact with each other.
“Parental separation can be a very difficult time for families … it can be highly detrimental to the health and wellbeing of children who are exposed to high-conflict situations.
“Our service provides children with the opportunity to maintain a meaningful relationship and spend time with the parent who they do not live with, minimising the exposure of children to conflict between parents.”
To be opened in July, the new centre will also enable community groups to meet after hours and on weekends, and provide consulting rooms, a function room and classrooms for adult education.
Comm Unity Plus has hired a consultant to review activities that can run at the centre, but it’s expected to provide family violence services, financial counselling, legal advice, health and wellbeing and youth engagement services as well as traditional Neighbourhood House activities.
Ms Muddagouni said the new state-of-the- art building was an investment in the west.
“It will be a hub for the community,” Ms Muddagouni said.
Residents are being asked to put forward ideas about the new house by April 15 at www.surveymonkey.com/r/deerparkNH
