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The City of Stonnington's Maternal and Child Health Services provides high-quality services for children from birth to school age.
Our staff are registered as both nurses and midwives, with additional qualifications in child, family and community health.
MCH provides information, guidance and support on the following topics:
- child health and development
- parent-child relationships
- maternal and family health
- breastfeeding and infant feeding advice
- immunisation
- nutrition
- local support services
- safety and injury prevention
- new parent group sessions.
Child health assessments
Maternal and Child Health Services provide free health services available to all families within the City of Stonnington for children from birth to school age.
This service is staffed by registered nurses with midwifery and maternal and child health nursing qualifications. Our service is easy to access, family-focused and committed to providing the highest quality of service. An interpreter service is available and confidentiality is maintained at all times.
All appointments will be offered face-to-face unless your COVID-19 screening tool indicates the need for an alternative model of care.
If you have not received an SMS from our MCH team with a link to the COVID-19 screening questions, please complete our COVID-19 screening form before attending your appointment.
Child health and development assessments at key ages and stages
Health and development assessments are available with a nurse at:
The My Health, Learning and Development book (the green book) is given to the parents of every newborn child in Victoria. It includes information about services that support families, your child's growth and health record, appointments and immunisation records.
Please bring the green book with you to every MCH visit.
How to prepare for your MCH visits
Online forms are temporarily unavailable. Please check back later or call us on 03 8290 3336.
Before your first appointment
Before attending your first child's health and developmental assessment please complete these forms:
- Family information form - the information collected will help us tailor services to you and your child. This will allow your Maternal and Child Health nurse to spend more time with you and your child at your home and on subsequent visits.
- Victorian Maternal and Child Health Service Statewide consent form - the information collected will help us keep up-to-date details about you or your child's needs, so that we can care for you or your child in the best possible way.
Only the Maternal and Child Health Service will use the information collected on forms.
Before every visit
You need to complete the COVID-19 screening form 48 hours before your appointment with MCH.
Only the Maternal and Child Health Service will use the information collected on forms.
Universal Maternal Health Service (UMCH)
The UMCH program consists of 10 Key Age and Stage (KAS) consultations with a Maternal and Child Health nurse. The KAS consultations are a schedule of contacts for all children and their families from birth to school age.
They include an initial home visit and consultations at:
- two, four and eight weeks
- four, eight, 12 and 18 months
- two, and three and a half years of age.
MCH Services is a free health service available to all families in Stonnington with children from birth to school age. Registered nurses with midwifery and maternal and child health nursing qualifications staff the service.
Our service is easy to access, family-focused and committed to providing the highest quality of service. An interpreter service is available and confidentiality is maintained.
Enhanced Maternal and Child Health Service (EMCH)
The EMCH program responds assertively to the needs of children and families at risk of poor outcomes where there are multiple risk factors.
This service is provided in addition to the components offered through the UMCH program.
MCH services and group work
MCH services and groups are part of essential health service delivery for all parents, children and families to access regardless of their vaccination status.
Parents and caregivers, first-time parents or other MCH groups should be reassured that appropriate screening and safety measures are in place. At times, some MCH group services may be delivered online.
Other maternal and child health programs and services
First-time parent groups
We encourage all first-time parents to come along to these informative and valuable sessions.
The sessions:
- provide health promotion and prevention
- build parenting capacity
- offer parenting support
- enhance social engagement and community connections
- support active engagement and inclusive practice with Dads group workshop for fathers and carers.
Speak to your MCH nurse for details.
Sleep and settling program
The Maternal and Child Health Service offers sleep and settling support to families with children aged up to 2 years.
Tailored education sessions and support on sleep strategies and cycles, settling techniques and more are available for the following developmental age groups:
- newborns from birth to 3 months
- babies from 6 to 8 months
- toddlers from 18 months to 2 years.
If you need additional support, we may offer a one-on-one in-home visit following a sleep assessment by the Sleep and Settling Maternal and Child Health nurse.
Speak to your Maternal and Child Health nurse or call MCH Admin on 03 8290 3336.
Join our Children and Family Services Facebook group for more information and session details.
INFANT (INfant Feeding, Active play and NuTrition)
The City of Stonnington Maternal and Child Health Service offers the INFANT program to support families with children from birth until two years of age.
What is INFANT?
INFANT (INfant Feeding, Active play and NuTrition) is designed to help parents and families with healthy eating and active play from the start of their baby's life.
INFANT consists of four group sessions for parents/caregivers led by a nurse or other practitioner, with content reinforced via a mobile app called My Baby Now. INFANT promotes healthy eating, increased active play and reduced screen time for babies from birth until two years of age.
INFANT helps children:
- reduce sedentary time (children watched 25 per cent less television)
- improve diet (children consumed 25 per cent fewer sweet snacks and had improved dietary quality).
Parents consistently reported high levels of program usefulness and relevance.
INFANT helps parents:
- improve dietary patterns of mothers
- improve mothers' knowledge and self-efficacy
- improve infant feeding practises
- connect with other parents and services locally.
Learn more
Download the INFANT flyer(PDF, 297KB).
For more information and session details, join our Children and Family Services Facebook group.
Speak to your Maternal and Child Health Nurse or call MCH Admin on 03 8290 3336.
Breastfeeding support service
A support service for breastfeeding mothers is available.
To book, speak to your MCH nurse or call 03 8290 3336.
Parent-Baby Mother Goose
What is Parent-Baby Mother Goose?
Parent-Baby Mother Goose is an evidence-based program that encourages connection through rhythm, sound, interactive play and meaning of language.
Parent-Baby Mother Goose helps:
- promote attachment between parents or carers and their young children
- improve the language development of young children
- reduce stress associated with being a parent or care of a young child
- connect parents with other parents and form new friendships
- connect parents and carers with useful resources in their own community.
Learn more
Download the Mother Goose flyer(PDF, 1MB).
For more information and session details, join our Children and Family Services Facebook group.
Speak to your Maternal and Child Health nurse or call MCH Admin on 03 8290 3336.
Visit Parent-Child Mother Goose Australia.
Outreach program
The Outreach program is available to families in Stonnington for children attending childcare centres or children who are unable to attend a Maternal and Child Health Centre.
The service provides ongoing care to improve the health, wellbeing and safety of families and the learning and development of children. Our staff are registered nurses with additional qualifications in midwifery and child, family and community health.
If your child is due for their key age and stage visit and you would like it completed at their child care centre, please complete the outreach consent form.
Online forms are temporarily unavailable. Please check back later or call us on 03 8290 3336.
Maternal and Child Health Line
The MCH Line is a 24-hour telephone service supporting Victorian families with health and parenting concerns for children from birth to school age.
It is staffed by MCH nurses and links families to the UMCH and EMCH programs. It also offers assisted referrals to a range of health and family support services, including emergency services.
You can call the MCH Line on 13 22 29.
Our locations
| MCH Centre |
Address |
Telephone |
| Central Park MCH Centre |
116 Burke Road, Malvern East 3145 |
03 8290 3336 |
| McArthur Street MCH Centre |
22 McArthur Street, Malvern 3144 |
03 8290 3336 |
| Phoenix Park MCH Centre |
25 Quentin Road, Malvern East 3145 |
03 8290 3336 |
| Grosvenor Street MCH Centre |
53 Grosvenor Street, South Yarra 3141 |
03 8290 3336 |
| Toorak Park MCH Centre |
1/7 Evergreen Mews, Armadale 3143 |
03 8290 3336 |