New Perinatal Mental Health Service Opens on the Central Coast Increasing Access for Regional NSW Parents

• Data reveals one in ten parents in regional NSW have struggled with perinatal mental health symptoms but did not seek support
• Member for Gosford, Liesl Tesch MP, will officially open Gidget House Wyoming at Central Coast Community Women’s Health Centre on Friday, 21 August
• The free* specialised perinatal mental health service will provide much needed support to parents on NSW’s Central Coast

21 August 2026 – With perinatal depression and anxiety (PNDA) impacting an estimated 1,751** parents in the Central Coast of New South Wales each year, a local service officially opens to support families from pre-conception through to early infancy. Gidget House Wyoming at Central Coast Community Women’s Health Centre offers free* GP-referred, psychological therapy sessions to parents.

Gidget House Wyoming at Central Coast Community Women’s Health Centre is one of 21 Gidget Houses located in regional NSW, building on Gidget Foundation Australia’s commitment to expanding its services to support parents by providing timely and accessible care.

Offering a blend of face-to-face and telehealth psychological support, the service officially opens as data reveals more than a quarter (28.4%) of parents in regional NSW have struggled with perinatal mental health symptoms but did not seek support.

Member for Gosford, Liesl Tesch MP, will officially open Gidget House Wyoming at Central Coast Community Women’s Health Centre on Friday, 21 August, welcoming the arrival of the first Gidget House location on the Central Coast.

Liesl Tesch MP says, “Too many families experience perinatal anxiety, depression and emotional distress, often without access to the specialised care they need close to home. The opening of Gidget House Wyoming at Central Coast Community Women’s Health Centre is a significant step forward in ensuring local families can access free*, compassionate and evidence-based perinatal mental health support when they need it most.

“Supporting the wellbeing of parents is an investment in the wellbeing of children, families and our entire community. I am proud to welcome Gidget House to the Central Coast and congratulate everyone involved in making this important service a reality.”

With approximately 100,000 parents experiencing perinatal depression and anxiety (PNDA) annually in Australia, one in five mothers and one in ten fathers are impacted, underscoring the need for increased access to specialised perinatal mental health services across the country.

Now in its 25th year, Gidget Foundation Australia has supported more than 18,000 families through the delivery of over 138,000 free* appointments across 48 Gidget House locations nationally.

CEO of Gidget Foundation Australia, Arabella Gibson, says the official opening of Gidget House Wyoming at Central Coast Community Women’s Health Centre is another step forward in the organisation’s ongoing commitment to supporting parents in regional areas.

“Gidget House Wyoming at Central Coast Community Women’s Health Centre marks the fifth regional location we’ve opened across Australia this year.

“For parents living in regional areas, distance can be a barrier to accessing perinatal mental health support. By establishing our first Gidget House on the Central Coast, we're supporting the mental health of families in the area from pre-conception through to early infancy with accessible, timely and specialised care.”

Building upon Gidget Foundation Australia’s long history of collaboration and partnership, Gidget House Wyoming operates within Central Coast Community Women’s Health Centre, which has been providing vital physical and mental healthcare support to women and children since 1976.

Sara Foster, CEO of Central Coast Community Women’s Health Centre, says that its collaboration with Gidget Foundation Australia is crucial for supporting parents in the local area.

“The Central Coast Community Women’s Health Centre is the region's largest and longest-serving provider of holistic, trauma-informed women's healthcare. With more than 6,000 women accessing our services over the past year, our Centre is uniquely positioned to identify and respond to the health and wellbeing needs of women across our region. Through partnerships with organisations such as Gidget Foundation Australia, we can extend this support into areas of specialised care, including perinatal mental health.

“These partnerships are critical in ensuring women experiencing challenges during pregnancy or the post-partum period including the impacts of trauma, anxiety, depression or domestic and family violence, are not left to navigate these challenges alone. We’re so pleased to partner with Gidget Foundation Australia to extend the services we provide to women in perinatal care.”

Gidget Foundation Australia and its partners acknowledge the significant challenges faced by families, from pre-conception to early infancy and are committed to ensuring families receive accessible, timely and specialised perinatal mental health care when they need it most.

For more information about Gidget Foundation Australia, Gidget House and the services the organisation provides, visit gidgetfoundation.org.au.

* The cost of services provided through Gidget House are funded through Medicare bulk billing. There are no out of pocket costs for up to 10 individual psychological therapy sessions per calendar year. A referral from a GP and a mental health treatment plan are required.

** Based on 3,525 births pa in Central Coast NSW (ABS, Births Australia 2024)