About us
Child and Family Health Centres provide a free service for all new parents in NSW. They are staffed by Child and Family Health Nurses who offer health, development and wellbeing checks for your child as well as support, education and information on all aspects of parenting. To find a Child and Family Health Centre near you visit www.health.nsw.gov.au/ child-family-health-services
Becoming a parent is an exciting time, but it can also make some families feel worried or nervous. Our Child and Family Health Nurses are here to help you, your family, and your baby stay healthy and happy.
To help us do this, we will perform a health check on your baby and will also ask you some questions about your health, feelings, and any help you get from others. Your answers will help us work together with you to make a care plan for your family.
What happens at the first visit?
At your first visit, you will get a paper called the ‘Privacy leaflet for Patients’ This paper explains why we ask for personal information and how we will use it. Everything you tell us will stay private, unless we are concerned about you or your baby’s well-being.
Your information will only be shared with health workers who are directly helping you, like child and family health nurses, midwives, social workers, mental health workers, or your family doctor (GP).
We will ask you about your health, any worries you have, and your past experiences. You may have been asked these questions in your pregnancy as well.
What happens after the first visit?
If there are any concerns, the nurse will talk to a team of health workers who help new parents. The team will discuss what kind of help you might need.
If the team thinks you need extra help, they will ask you first if it's okay to refer you to other services. If we believe you or your baby may not be safe, we have to report it to the proper authorities, so, you and your family get the best support.
What if I don’t want any help?
Unless there is a safety issue for you or your baby you don’t have to accept help or referrals.
We want to make sure you know about all the support we can offer, but it's your choice whether to accept it.
If you have any questions about the information we ask for or how we use it, please ask the nurse.
Most of your child’s brain structure is developed before they turn 5 years old. These early days set the foundation for how well they will do in school and right through their lives.
This is why it’s very important your child has their health and development checked regularly by a health professional from birth and up to 5 years old.
Regular health and development checks are important to track your child’s growth and help us discover potential issues early. It is easier to fix the brain while it is still developing than when problems occur later in life.
The regular scheduled checks in this Blue Book have been designed to help you check your child’s development against the milestones for their age.
Before each health check at your local Child and Family Health Centre, read and answer the development questions in the Blue Book sections called Learn the Signs. Act Early.
These appointments can also be a useful way of finding out more about your child’s growth and development and can be an opportunity to discuss other issues about your child’s health and wellbeing.
Even if you think your child is developing properly, you should always take them for their scheduled health checks at your local Child and Family Health Centre or your family doctor at each of the following ages.
At every health check from 2 months you will see a set of questions under the heading Learn the Signs. Act Early. These questions help you see whether your child’s development is on track, and when it is a good idea to ask a professional for help.
Answer these questions as accurately as you can, because they can help you and your doctor or Child and Family Health nurse understand the way your child is learning, developing and behaving.
For more information on developmental milestones and extra resources for parents, including videos, go to the NSW Health website atwww.health.nsw.gov.au/mybluebook.
For extra ideas on how you can encourage your child’s development, download the Love, Talk, Sing, Read, Play app on Android and iPhone and the Bright Tomorrows app at www.brighttomorrows.org.au
You can also find detailed information and more ideas about supporting your child’s development at raisingchildren.net.au
You should make notes about your child’s health and progress in the ‘Progress Notes’ section of this Blue Book.