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Temporary changes to Maternal Child Health Service
The Victorian Government’s measure to temporarily prioritise infants aged 0-8 weeks across the Melbourne metropolitan area will conclude on 11 March, however our service remains under increased pressure.
This is due to an unprecedented increase in our local birth rate, low availability of fully qualified Maternal and Child Health nurses across the state, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
From Monday 14 March, Melton City Council will begin reintroducing more Key Age and Stage visits and will prioritise children from 0-4 months of age, plus Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families, vulnerable children and families, as well as children and families with additional needs or concerns including families enrolled in the Enhanced Maternal and Child Health Program and those with COVID-19. The Maternal and Child Health service capacity will be reviewed, and further advice will be provided by the end of May 2022.
This means that Maternal and Child Health consultations will remain temporarily paused for older infants aged 8 months and over, and existing appointments will unfortunately need to be cancelled.
To help us assess your child’s needs at this time we advise all families, especially those with concerns regarding their child’s learning, development or behaviour, to please complete the Parents Evaluation Developmental Status (PEDS) in your green book and email a photo of it to mchtoddlersupport@melton.vic.gov.au This email is monitored by our Maternal and Child Health nurses.
If you have any concerns about missing an individual appointment, we invite you to join our free parent education groups to have a chat with our Parenting Group Educator. This is an opportunity to ask questions, hear from other parents, and get information and support. The education sessions are very popular with parents and care givers who have reported benefits from their participation.
Support measures available
Several parent education support measures are available during this time to help support you and help you understand your child’s health and development:
- Breastfeeding support
- Resources for babies and toddlers
- Call the Victorian Maternal & Child Health Line, staffed 24 hours by qualified nurses, on 13 22 29
- Consult your family GP
- Visit a SuperCare pharmacy which provides 24-hour access to healthcare advice and pharmacy services, including a free, on-site nursing service from 6-10pm
- Contact an optometrist for vision testing
- You can download the free maternal and child health app. It provides reliable information matched to the age of your child that you can use every day.
- You can also download the free My Baby Now app for the latest information about feeding and active play for your baby.
If you have questions about this service change, please email mchtoddlersupport@melton.vic.gov.au
Families have been be sent a letter explaining these temporary changes.(PDF, 231KB)
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