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    HAPPY DAYS: Hudson Purtill at the East Grampians Health Service Family Day Care centre, while his mum Madison fills a nursing shift at Ararat hospital.

Ararat hospital day care proving beneficial

After officially opening its family daycare service in September, East Grampians Health Service and its staff are already seeing the benefits.

The service, in partnership with Let’s Go Family Day Care, enables staff to access short-term and short-notice childcare when required to work.

The new facility allows staff, who are asked to work shifts at short notice, including night shifts, to have access to family day care facilities that are a short walk from the health service.

The service acts as a short-notice facility to enable staff to work when required if a session is not available at their usual provider.



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More than 20 families expressed interest or have registered for the service, many expressing their gratitude for this initiative.

Staff member Madison Purtill, a theatre nurse in the EGHS Perioperative Unit, has found the service beneficial to her family. Ms Purtill’s son Hudson is on a waitlist at a local childcare facility, but having the EGHS Family Day Care in the interim has allowed her to continue working and her husband to complete study, avoiding the need to take leave for child-minding.

“Hudson loves going to family day care. The carer makes his days enjoyable through ensuring they do activities that Hudson loves ... and keeping him entertained throughout the day,” Ms Purtill said.

“The facility is excellent and well suited to all age kids. I would recommend to any EGHS staff to enrol your child into family day care.

“I am very happy with the service. It is such a great idea and makes working and continuing to work at EGHS very appealing to have this as an option as a mother. I am very proud of my workplace when I tell friends and family of this service.”

The entire November 27, 2024 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!

The entire November,27, 2024 edition of AgLife is available online. READ IT HERE!