Child Safety Ngala Parenting Line: free advice for WA parents, 8am to 8pm every day
Ngala's Parenting Line is free for WA parents and carers. Call (08) 9368 9368 any day from 8am to 8pm and talk to a child health nurse, midwife or social worker about sleep, feeding, behaviour or how you're coping. No referral needed.
It's 7pm. The baby hasn't slept properly in three days, your mum says one thing, the internet says another, and you can't tell any more what's normal. You don't need an emergency department. You need someone who knows babies to talk it through with you, tonight.
In Western Australia that someone is a phone call away. Ngala's Parenting Line is free, open every day from 8am to 8pm, and staffed by people trained to help.
Call Ngala free on (08) 9368 9368
What it is
Ngala is a WA not-for-profit, supported by the WA Government, Lotterywest and local councils. The Parenting Line is its free phone service for any parenting question about a child from birth to 18.
The people who answer are Child Health Nurses, midwives, registered nurses, occupational therapists and social workers. Ngala says they are trained in parenting support, some with a special focus on baby and child mental health. If the person you get isn't the right fit for your question, they put you through to someone who is.
What you can ask about
Anything. Ngala's own words are "no question is off limits, no topic is taboo". The questions parents call with most:
- sleep and settling
- feeding
- behaviour, tantrums and emotions
- routines and development: is this normal?
- feeling exhausted, low or overwhelmed
- getting different advice from everyone
- not knowing which service to call next
You don't need the right words, and you don't need to know what kind of help you want. Start with what's happening today.
Who it's for
Any WA parent or carer: mums, dads, grandparents, foster carers, other family. You can call on behalf of someone else. You don't need a referral from a GP or child health nurse.
What it costs
Nothing. The line is free, and you can call as many times as you like.
How it works, step by step
- Call (08) 9368 9368, any day between 8am and 8pm.
- If nobody can pick up straight away, they call you back as soon as someone is free.
- Can't talk right now, with a baby on you? Request a call back online and leave your details. Ngala doesn't time-limit calls, so they can't give an exact time, but they say you won't wait long.
- The person who answers listens, asks a few questions to understand your family, then talks through practical next steps that suit you.
Calls are confidential. Ngala says it won't tell you what you "should" do; it helps you reach the goals you have for your family.
Save the number now
The best time to save a helpline is before you need it. Put (08) 9368 9368 in your phone as "Ngala Parenting Line", next to the Red Nose safe sleep advice line and Emergency+.
When to call someone else
The Parenting Line is not a crisis service. If it's urgent:
- Emergency: 000. A child who isn't breathing, is unconscious, badly hurt or having a seizure.
- Your child is unwell and you're unsure what to do: Healthdirect, 1800 022 222.
- Crisis Care (WA), 1800 199 008, for urgent help outside a medical emergency.
For everything else, the questions that keep you up at night but aren't an emergency, call Ngala.
Call Ngala free on (08) 9368 9368