Maternal & Child Health
Buloke Shire Council’s Maternal and Child Health Service provides free medical consultations for all families with babies and young children, from birth to three-and-a-half years of age.
Following the birth of your baby, the hospital will give you your child's My Health and Development Record. This allows you to keep all your child's health, growth and development information, appointment records and immunisation records in one place.
The hospital will notify Council of the birth of your baby and will pass on your contact details. This information will then be passed to a Maternal and Child Health nurse in your area. The nurse will make contact with you within a few days of your arrival home from hospital, to arrange a visit to your home.
During your home visit, the Maternal and Child Health nurse will give you information about upcoming consultations and services, and the location of your nearest Maternal and Child Health Centre.
The Maternal and Child Health Service offers 10 free consultations. Known as Key Ages and Stages consultations, these take place when your baby is two, four and eight weeks of age, then at four and eight months of age, and at one, one-and-a-half, two and three-and-a-half years of age.
At each of these consultations the nurse will review your child’s health, growth and development. At some of these consultations there will also be specific assessments, including those related to hearing and vision. The nurse will also talk to you about your own health and how your experience as a parent of a new baby has been so far.
Buloke Shire Maternal and Child Health Centres offer scheduled appointments and some after-hours appointments. Maternal and Child Health Centres are located at Birchip, Donald, Charlton, Sea Lake and Wycheproof.
For opening hours and consultation times, please call 1300 520 520.
You can also call the Victoria-wide Maternal and Child Health Line24 hours a day, seven days a week on 13 22 29.