For professionals

• A blueprint for action – Maternity care in NSW aims to strengthen maternity care services to ensure they are collaborative, equitable and women-centred – NSW Health  

• Early Childhood Oral Health details how you can support better oral health outcomes for children  

• Preconception, maternity, and child and family health resources for health professionals – NSW Health 

• Resource Hub provides resources on pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, and child health and development  

• The first 2000 days of life provides further evidence-based information professionals can use to inform parents and carers – NSW Health

• Small Bites for Big Steps provides video series and professional development courses for early childhood educators  – NSW Government 
• Your career in early childhood includes information on starting, upskilling or developing your career in early childhood education and care – NSW Department of Education 

• Resource centre helps professionals find policies, forms, factsheets, reports, research and more from across the whole Department of Communities and Justice – Department of Communities and Justice 

• Targeted Early Intervention Program includes information for professionals who work with families that could use more support – Department of Communities and Justice 

NSW Health is designing a digital alternative to the existing Child Personal Health Record or Baby Book (known as “The Blue Book”).  

• The Digital Baby Book will provide parents and carers with access to a secure app where they can manage their child's health information. This will make it easier to share relevant information with health professionals. 

• In the longer term, it aims to provide near real-time integration with existing health information in hospitals, community settings and GPs.  

• It is expected to improve the early life experience of children from birth to the age of 5 and help predict future health outcomes.

Roll-out of health and development checks in ECEC services program began in late 2023. 

• The NSW Government is rolling out free health and development checks for 4-year-old children at their preschool or long day care service.  

• This check can help parents and carers see how their child’s health and development is tracking before they start school. 

• Health professionals from local health districts will be conducting the checks. ECEC staff will support children during the checks. 

• The program is opt in for ECEC services and more services will join in 2024 as the program expands. ECEC services will let families know when this program is coming to their service.  

• The 4-year check is also available through your doctor or your local child and family health service. 

There are currently 9 Aboriginal Child and Family Centres, with consultation on new and expanded sites beginning in 2023. 

• Aboriginal Child and Family Centres provide culturally safe services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families with children aged 0-8 years.  

• This includes early childhood education and care, parent and family support and maternal and child health advice. Adult education opportunities are also available.  

• Aboriginal Child and Family Centres in NSW are operated by Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations to suit local needs. 

• This initiative will better support the 9 existing centres and enable the build of 6 new locations, ensuring more communities have access to these important services.  

• Centres are currently located in Ballina, Brewarrina, Doonside, Gunnedah, Lightning Ridge, Minto, Mount Druitt, Nowra and Toronto. 

• New locations will be chosen based on community consultation and community need. 

Pregnancy Family Conferencing is available in 6 sites, with more locations to be added in 2023. 

• Pregnancy Family Conferencing supports pregnant women and their families where there are concerns about the safety and wellbeing of an unborn child.  

• The program helps families plan for a successful start in their parenting and caring journey to keep mothers and children together.  

• The program is currently operating in 6 metropolitan sites throughout Greater Sydney. New funding will enable the service to reach more families across the state.

Sustaining NSW Families is available at 9 sites across NSW, with more sites available in 2024.   

• Sustaining NSW Families is a health home visiting service to help strengthen the relationships between children and parents/carers, build parenting capacity and enhance child development, wellbeing and health. 

• The program is offered to families who meet eligibility criteria which include mothers experiencing mild anxiety and or mild depression and circumstances which are known to have an impact on the family. 

• Sustaining NSW Families is led by specially trained Child and Family Health nurses and is offered free to eligible families, ideally starting during pregnancy and continuing until the child's second birthday.  

 Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is available now for eligible families. 

• Eligible children enrolled in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library will receive a children’s book delivered each month to their home, along with family support materials. 

• Families can enroll if they have a child born from 1 January 2022 and are located in one of the 25 eligible Local Government Areas.