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Virtual Residential Parenting Service
Having a baby is a huge change to your life. There may be times you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed, but help is available.
At Karitane, we offer a range of services to support you in your parenting journey.
Virtual Residential Parenting Service (VRPS) is a free 5-day, 4-night (Monday to Friday) 24-hour online support service for NSW parents/carers with children aged 0-3 years who need more intensive parenting support, such as:
- Sleeping and settling
- Feeding – breastfeeding, bottle feeding and solids
- Child development and behaviour
- Adjusting to parenting
- Parent/carer’s mental health and wellbeing.
We can discuss what the right Karitane service is for you.
To know more about VRPS and if you are eligible, please contact 1300 227 464.
What’s involved?
Enrolled families are connected virtually to a team of healthcare providers, such as a child and family nurse, GP, psychologist, and social worker.
VRPS has planned sessions across each of the 5 days. The sessions are flexible and work with families on their goals. We welcome partners and other caregivers to join the sessions.
VRPS is a confidential service that uses NSW Health’s secure, myVirtualCare platform. You will need reliable internet and your own personal device (preferable laptops and iPads/tablets) to access the service. Options may be available if you have limited data.
Referrals to VRPS
Referrals to the VRPS can be made by NSW healthcare providers, such as child and family health nurses, GPs, social workers, paediatricians or via our self-referral service.
We will assess your referral and discuss what the right Karitane service is for you.
Contact the Karitane Careline on 1300 227 464 to discuss if you might benefit from this service.
Testimonials
“I am still in disbelief about the positive impact that the nurses had on my entire family within 4 days and 4 nights. Due to lock down, the 'stay' was replaced with phone and video calls. The nurses were able to make such intuitive decisions for my children and their routines, completely via screens. I was a bit nervous about settling my little ones once 24/7 support was gone, but just 2 days after completing our time with Karitane, I could put my 11 month in her cot, and she would either go to sleep alone, or with a gentle pat of the cot mattress! My 3 year old now has my undivided attention when it's time to wind down and read books before bed. I know that there will be days that won't be as smooth, but this is a massive step in the right direction for a mum who battled colic, (unwanted) co-sleeping, 5+ night wakings and feeding to sleep.
The nurses were incredibly kind and non judgmental about how things had been going. I felt so supported and encouraged every step of the way. If anyone is having a hard time with their young children's sleep, don't wait to contact Karitane! Life changing.”
Karitane virtual residential stay featured on Studio 10
“Jake was up every hour or two through the night, I was having very little sleep and this coupled with isolation was hard. When I got the call that the residential stay was going to be virtual, I have to say I was disappointed, I was having very little sleep and this coupled with isolation I really felt the blow. I thought at the time video calls compared to a weeks stay wasn't really any comparison, I was later pleasantly surprised it was much more. All the nurses I had were fantastic. They were so knowledgeable, caring and flexible. Such a friendly face to wake up to each day. When you are essentially inviting the nurses in to your home and in to your environment it is super important that you feel comfortable. With the Karitane nurses I felt like I had them around for a cuppa and a chat rather than it being very clinical and formal. I had a number to always call throughout the day and having the text options was even better. Being able to practice what you speak about with the nurses in your own home and having Jake in his own cot was a real advantage. Having the nurses on headphones whilst settling. This was fantastic they got to hear Jake cry and tell me when to pick him up and put him back down etc. I had a great experience and have learnt so much. Jake is improving more and more everyday and our family unit is adjusting well to all the changes. If I can take one good thing from Isolation it is having the time to invest in Jakes sleeping pattern and as a family we have so much time now to spend together and to work on what works for us whilst implementing everything the nurses at Karitane have suggested. If and when number 2 comes along I will be sure to remember everything I have learnt.”
‘I attended a virtual baby sleep class and now my 10-month-old rarely wakes overnight’
Lauren and James from Illawarra, NSW, were beyond excited when they welcomed their gorgeous baby girl, Emilia into the world.
“At 10-months-old, Emilia was still so unsettled, up every two hours throughout the night and the only way she would settle back to sleep was with breastfeeding, which meant only I could settle her. I was exhausted, drained, and my poor husband James was left feeling helpless,” Lauren begins.
“We needed help getting Emilia to settle without breastfeeding so that James could take over when I was falling off my feet, but in Illawarra where we live, there isn’t any local free parenting service, so we were very much on our own,” she explains.
The couple had no idea how tough the first year would be. Here, Lauren shares how attending a virtual baby sleep class was life-changing for her little family-of-three.
Read their success story here.
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