Strengthening care for babies, children and families in the early years

On 1 April 2027, QEC and Tweddle will merge to become Kinhaven.

This is a significant moment for QEC and Tweddle and an important step in a process led jointly by both boards and informed by consultation, due diligence and careful planning.

A new, merged organisation will deliver lasting benefits for babies, children, families and carers, staff and the broader early parenting sector – benefits that neither organisation can achieve alone.  

Building on the long history and strengths of QEC and Tweddle, Kinhaven will make it easier for families to find and access specialist early parenting support and provide consistent, high-quality specialist care across all locations.  

Kinhaven will also build a strong early parenting workforce, strengthen early parenting research, education and innovation, deepen our commitment to cultural safety and self-determination for Aboriginal families and communities and create a more sustainable future for specialist early parenting services.

For staff, work continues as usual. There are no changes to roles or employment terms or conditions. All sites, programs and services continue to operate as usual. Both QEC and Tweddle continue to operate independently until merger date.  

At the merger date, staff will transfer to the new organisation on existing terms and conditions. No staff will be disadvantaged. There will be no change to the services we provide to the community. Families can continue to receive care at the same locations and from the teams they know and trust.    

The new organisation will have one Board and one CEO, with reporting lines aligned to support a single organisation. Staff will be consulted about any changes that affect them. 

Services will continue as usual throughout the transition and from the merger date, with families receiving the same care from the same teams, at the same locations. The new organisation will have a new name and brand, and be led by one board and one chief executive. All staff will transition to the new organisation in their current roles, on existing terms and conditions. 

Kinhaven will be led by one board and CEO.  

Kinhaven’s inaugural Board will be made up of Directors drawn from the current QEC and Tweddle Boards. This reflects the equal partnership behind the merger and provides continuity of leadership and knowledge as the two organisations become one.  

A recruitment process for the inaugural CEO will be led by the board and Department of Health in the coming months. The inaugural board and CEO will be announced before the merger date. 

No. Services continue as usual throughout the merger planning and once we become Kinhaven on 1 April 2027. You will continue to receive care from the same teams, at the same locations, through the same programs. 

Both boards undertook a thorough, evidence-based process to assess whether a voluntary merger would be in the best interests of babies, children and families. This included consultation with families, staff, partners and the community, due diligence and independent analysis. The evidence supported the conclusion that a single organisation will make it easier for families to access support when they need it and deliver lasting benefits for babies, children, families and carers – benefits that neither organisation can achieve alone. 

Thank you for taking the time to contribute. What you shared helped us understand what families, staff and partners value most, what should be protected in any merger and what a stronger organisation could achieve. Those findings were considered alongside due diligence and independent analysis to inform the boards' recommendation.  

Across all groups, support was broad and consistent. Families and community members were clear about what matters most - being able to find help before reaching crisis point, maintaining the quality of care and trusted relationships they value and keeping the local connections that make both organisations work for their communities. People also identified what they want a merged organisation to prioritise including reaching more families across Victoria, improving how families navigate services and maintaining the family-centred, non-medical approach that defines both organisations.  

Read what we heard:

• What staff and employees told us 
• What families and communities told us 
• What partners and referrers told us 

The boards of QEC and Tweddle worked together to explore whether a merger would benefit babies, children, families and carers. 

The boards recommended a merger to government which was considered by the Department of Health before a final decision was made by the Minister for Health. The Minister for Health has decided that the merger is in the public interest and should proceed.

QEC and Tweddle will work together to establish the new organisation. 

Leaders, staff, families and stakeholders from both organisations will help design how we come together as one organisation from 1 April 2027. 

While the new organisation will start on 1 April 2027, some things will continue to come together after the merger date.  

Staff, families, partners and stakeholders will be kept updated as decisions are made and the new organisation takes shape. 

We will keep you updated on our website as the process progresses. For questions, email [email protected].