Maternal and Child Health service offered at Eastland

More first-time parents will be able to access services they need to support their child’s development with the expansion of Maroondah City Council’s Maternal and Child Health services at Eastland.

The new Maternal and Child Health Centre will offer contemporary, fit-for-purpose facilities for families with young children in Shop 1141, Level 1 at Eastland and will open its doors on Monday 29 March which will be a first for both Maroondah City Council and Eastland.

Mayor of Maroondah Cr Kylie Spears said Council is excited to be partnering with Eastland to expand our free Maternal and Child Health services to provide support and care for Maroondah families.

“The new MCH centre at Eastland will provide services that are currently offered across all our MCH centres, but with the added benefit of being in a central location with easy access to public transport and for those who want to drop in for advice or information while out and about.

“This is both exciting and unique for an MCH centre to be based in a large shopping centre with direct access to Ringwood Station and bus interchange. It will provide greater access for families, as well as having access to additional support services such as children’s activities at Realm,” Cr Spears said.

There are seven Council-run Maternal and Child Health centres in Maroondah run by 30 qualified nurses, who hold specialist qualifications in midwifery and maternal and child health and are part of a local network of health and support services that can refer families to other support agencies if required. The nurses are also experienced in providing comprehensive developmental assessments for children from birth to school age.

The Maternal and Child Health service offers families information, support and advice in caring for their child as they continue to grow and develop, including first-time parent groups, early parenting groups, breastfeeding programs, baby settling techniques, toddler talk sessions and a supported playgroup.

Greg Balmforth, General Manager of Eastland, said this service is the perfect addition to the centre.

“The MCH service will greatly complement the family offering at Eastland, and its arrival will ensure we continue to deliver a varied and dynamic offer that will support and engage our customers long into the future.

“The days of offering single use centres are finished and we will ensure we provide a multi-use offering that our community and customer not only needs but wants. Which is why we are delighted to bring such a vital service to Eastland with the support of Maroondah City Council,” said Mr Balmforth.

“The MCH team would like to remind parents of the importance of maternal and child health visits when their child is 18 months, two years and aged three-and-a-half years. These appointments provide physical and developmental checks and can assist parents with advice on kindergarten and school readiness,” Cr Spears added.

In response to recent announcements by the Victorian Government, our centres are now back to taking face-to-face appointments. All consultations will be conducted in a COVID-safe way, with appropriate measures in place to protect staff and families.

All consultations with a nurse will be by appointment only, but parents can drop in to make an appointment with the front of house staff in the store or get advice about any Maternal and Child Health services.

For more information on appointments, please contact Maternal and Child Health on 1300 88 22 33.

If your child is unwell, call your local GP or 000 (triple zero) if a life-threatening emergency. If you need to speak to a nurse outside our hours, please call the free, 24-hour Maternal and Child Health Line on 13 22 29.

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