Government funding for the Australian Breastfeeding Association’s 24 hour telephone counselling service runs out in June and the association says there is no process for it to reapply for the $1 million a year grant it relies on to survive.
“If we don’t have clarity regarding funding by end April will be have to start making plans to close the service including making six people redundant,” Ms Nalor says.
The federal government needs to know how important the ABA's assistance is to parents in providing advice and support for feeding babies.
Updates
February 15, 2016
I am currently coordinating a formal briefing document to present to the Department of Health regarding the operational necessity of this helpline. My focus is on securing a direct meeting with the budget office to address the lack of an application process for grant renewal.
19 Comments
I had so much trouble with breastfeeding. I was expressing & bottle feeding for the first month of my first born's life. Thanks to the support of the ABA & a 5 day stay at the Ellen Barron Centre we were able to get on track. I breast fed her for 20 months & then 2 years with my 2nd child. They both have the most amazing immune systems & avoided many of the absences from child care that many kids experience. As a result I have been far more productive in the workforce.
1 million is short change and preventative compared with the future health care costs of babies that don't get breast milk.
As a Midwife I cannot recommend ABA enough as a lifeline to mothers in the community. Funding should continue.
I would not know what i would have done if it wasnt for the aba at 2am in the morning. Every breastfeeding mum needs that support, reassurance and advice available at anytime of the day or night.
The ABA are invaluable to mothers! I was had two crisis points and they were the only people I could turn too for advice. They are extremely valuable to the community. This is an essential service for women, especially those with breast fed babies. The government need to recognize their value in supporting women's health ( and babies!).
Breast feeding produces healthier babies that in turn reduces the strain on our medical system. This service must be kept!
This is an important service which helps many Moms and babies. What could be more important than helping our children get the start they deserve in life? You can't out a price on that!
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Government funding for the Australian Breastfeeding Association’s 24 hour telephone counselling service runs out in June and the association says there is no process for it to reapply for the $1 million a year grant it relies on to survive.
“If we don’t have clarity regarding funding by end April will be have to start making plans to close the service including making six people redundant,” Ms Nalor says.
The federal government needs to know how important the ABA's assistance is to parents in providing advice and support for feeding babies.
Updates
February 15, 2016
I am currently coordinating a formal briefing document to present to the Department of Health regarding the operational necessity of this helpline. My focus is on securing a direct meeting with the budget office to address the lack of an application process for grant renewal.
19 Comments
I was very surprised to hear that this essential service is in jeopardy. The value of the ABA's support for mothers and babies simply cannot be expressed as a dollar amount... the benefits and healthcare savings from successful breastfeeding alone are phenomenal and should be more than reason enough to ensure the continuation of this much needed resource.
I had so much trouble with breastfeeding. I was expressing & bottle feeding for the first month of my first born's life. Thanks to the support of the ABA & a 5 day stay at the Ellen Barron Centre we were able to get on track. I breast fed her for 20 months & then 2 years with my 2nd child. They both have the most amazing immune systems & avoided many of the absences from child care that many kids experience. As a result I have been far more productive in the workforce.
1 million is short change and preventative compared with the future health care costs of babies that don't get breast milk.
As a Midwife I cannot recommend ABA enough as a lifeline to mothers in the community. Funding should continue.
I would not know what i would have done if it wasnt for the aba at 2am in the morning. Every breastfeeding mum needs that support, reassurance and advice available at anytime of the day or night.
The ABA are invaluable to mothers! I was had two crisis points and they were the only people I could turn too for advice. They are extremely valuable to the community. This is an essential service for women, especially those with breast fed babies. The government need to recognize their value in supporting women's health ( and babies!).
Breast feeding produces healthier babies that in turn reduces the strain on our medical system. This service must be kept!
This is an important service which helps many Moms and babies. What could be more important than helping our children get the start they deserve in life? You can't out a price on that!
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I was very surprised to hear that this essential service is in jeopardy. The value of the ABA's support for mothers and babies simply cannot be expressed as a dollar amount... the benefits and healthcare savings from successful breastfeeding alone are phenomenal and should be more than reason enough to ensure the continuation of this much needed resource.