LIFESAVING PROGRAM NO MORE
A DOMESTIC violence victim fears for the lives of Gold Coast mothers and their children following the axing of a home visit program she credits with saving her life.
“If my nurse had not visited me in my home and had not been able to observe that my relationship with my daughter’s father wasn’t right, then I would have still been there now,” said the single parent. “Or even worse, maybe I would not be alive.
“I’m in shock and disbelief (about the funding cut). I worry for other mums on the Gold Coast and I worry for their children.”
The survivor, who now lives away from her daughter’s father, said that since the birth of her child a year ago she’d been supported by a community child health nurse through the Home Visiting Program.
“I was experiencing domestic violence with the child’s father which became much worse after my daughter was born,” the mother said.
“My child health nurse was able to recognise the signs and helped me see the relationship was not healthy and linked me in with other support services and made referrals on my behalf which then resulted in me being able to get a DVO (domestic violence order) against her father and protect me and my daughter.”
Suffering from anxiety and depression, the woman was unable to go out and actively seek support, relying on help from the visiting nurse. She’s been told that the Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women has stopped funding the program and that Gold Coast Health would not take over and continue to operate the home-visit program.
“This makes me feel sad and scared for families like me. My nurse has been working with me providing education so I can help my daughter develop and be healthy,” she said.
“She is also helping me to ensure my child isn’t affected by my health or by what she may have previously seen. I also feel angry that mental health and domestic abuse is taken so lightly, when recently the government was putting more money into these services. Surely child health is part of that.
“There have been people seriously injured and hurt through domestic abuse. I thank the lord each day that I made it out with mine and my daughter’s lives.”