The Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Service works in partnership with families to care for babies and young children until they start school.
The service is free for all Victorian families.
You will visit MCH nurses at 10 key stages of your child's development. The visits focus on optimising child and family health, wellbeing, safety, learning and development.
Your MCH nurse offers first time parenting groups, links to local community activities and may offer additional visits and referral to other services when extra support is needed.
MCH Line - call 13 22 29 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week). Families with children from birth to school age can speak to an MCH nurse for advice and support.
The My Health, Learning and Development Record (the 'green book') is given to the parents or carers of every newborn child in Victoria. It contains information about their birth, early childhood development and services, and can be kept as a record of your child's health, growth, development, immunisations and other milestones throughout childhood.
What is the 'green book'?
In Victoria, following the birth of your baby, the hospital will give you a free My Health, Learning and Development Record, commonly known as the 'green book'.
information and a record of your child’s 10 key ages and stages maternal and child health visits
Information about early childhood development.
You will be given a hard copy of the ‘green book’ when your baby is born. There is also a digital version via the Parent Portal, available through the Service Victoria app and website.
Through the Parent Portal you can create a profile for your child, track their development, record maternal child health appointment notes, and access support services for all stages of your child’s development.
Information and resources in the hard copy and digital ‘green book’ are the same – you can choose which format of the ‘green book’ suits you best.
By keeping your 'green book' up to date, it will become an important record of your child’s development from birth to adolescence.
If you don’t have a 'green book', contact your local MCH service or download a digital version via Service Victoria.
How to use the 'green book'
The 'green book' is designed to keep your child's health, growth, learning and development records in one place.
Use it to:
find out about health, wellbeing, safety, learning and development
learn where you can get more information, services and support for you, your baby and your family
record growth and immunisations as well as valuable observations about your child’s health, learning and development
write down questions you want to discuss with the MCH nurse or other health professionals
write down appointments, immunisations and notes about your baby’s health, wellbeing, safety, learning and development.
The digital version also includes a local kindergarten and school finder, supporting parents through every stage of childhood.
Take your 'green book' to all health appointments
Important information will be given to you by a range of health professionals, so it’s important to have the 'green book' with you when you go to:
the MCH nurse
immunisation appointments
a local doctor, dentist or other health professional
a hospital or emergency department
an Early Parenting Centre
a community health centre
an early childhood education and care setting (e.g. childcare centre, family day care, kindergarten) or school.
Ten key ages and stages visits
Information will be added to your child's 'green book' at each of these 10 key ages and stages MCH service visits:
at birth – this first visit is usually at your home, and the following visits are at a MCH centre
