Services provided
How Maternal and Child Health (MCH) can help parents, families and carers
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.
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.
Breastfeeding support service
A support service for breastfeeding mothers is available.
To book, speak to your MCH nurse or call 03 8290 3336.
Child 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.
Our staff are registered as both nurses and midwives, with additional qualifications in child, family and community health. 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 always maintained.
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.
Before your first appointment
Before attending your first child's health and developmental assessment please complete:
- Family information form
- Victorian Maternal and Child Health Service Statewide consent form
- COVID-19 screening form.
Family information form
The information collected will help us tailor services to you and your child so that your Maternal and Child Health nurse can spend more time with you and your child at your home and on subsequent visits.
Complete Family Information form
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.
Complete Statewide consent form
MCH Service and COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic may impact our health services and health workforces in Victoria, including Maternal and Child Health (MCH) services. The COVID-19 screening form will need to be filled out before every appointment with MCH. You will need to complete the form 48 hours prior to your appointment.
Complete the COVID-19 Screening form
The information collected on all forms will be used by the Maternal and Child Health service only.
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 within the City of Stonnington with 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.
To make an appointment, please call our MCH Services central booking officer on 03 8290 3336.
For other information visit the Department of Health website or BetterHealthChannel.
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.
Face-to-face appointments
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 the form above before attending your appointment.
MCH app
The MCH app provides time-saving features such as:
- personalised notifications
- important contact numbers, such as MCH Line
- evidence-based responses to common child health, wellbeing, safety learning and development questions.
It provides information for parents about KAS consultations and reliable information on parenting topics.
The MCH app includes an interactive child growth tracker, enabling families to monitor their baby's growth progress.
In addition, the app's content continues to be translated into community languages to promote access for culturally and linguistically diverse families. The app is available in Arabic, Chinese (simplified), Dari, Khmer, Persian, Punjabi, Spanish and Vietnamese.
Download the MCH app on the iOS App Store or Google Play Store.
The MCH 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.
Call the MCH Line at 13 22 29.
Sleep and Settling program
The City of Stonnington Maternal and Child Health Service offers sleep and settling support to families with children aged up to 2 years.
Tailored educational sessions and support on sleep strategies, settling techniques, sleep cycles 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 require additional support, a one-on-one in-home visit may be offered 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 Facebook group for more information and session details.
Stonnington Maternal and Child Health Centres
| 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 |
Please call 03 8290 3336 for further information.
INFANT
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 the INFANT Facebook group.
Speak to your Maternal and Child Health Nurse or call MCH Admin on 03 8290 3336.
Parent-Baby Mother Goose
What is Parent-Baby Mother Goose?
Parent-Baby Mother Goose is an evidence-based program that strengthens attachment and interaction between parents or carers and their young children by encouraging connection through rhythm, sound, interactive play and meaning of language.
Parent-Baby Mother Goose helps:
- promote attachment between parents 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 the Mother Goose 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 City of Stonnington Outreach program is available to families in Stonnington for children attending childcare centres or 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.