Priority initiatives

• The Supporting Families Early Maternal and Child Health Primary Health Care Policy (PD2010_017)
• The Personal Health Record (also known as the ‘blue book’)
• Early childhood health and development surveillance and screening recommended schedule – a series of nine recommended routine health checks, set out in the child Personal Health Record (Blue Book) given to every baby at birth. The health checks start with the newborn check and the schedule continues to the before school check at about 4 years of age. The comprehensive checks include specific screening such as:
• Universal Newborn hearing screening shortly after birth through the Statewide Infant screening – Hearing (SWIS-H) Program. Information is also available about hearing services for older children and adults.
• Vision screening at 4 years under the Statewide Eyesight Preschooler Screening (StEPS) Program
• Developmental checks at every scheduled health check from 6 to 8 weeks using the Learn the Signs. Act Early. milestone monitoring tools.
• Sustaining NSW Families – a sustained nurse home visiting program for vulnerable families commencing antenatally and continuing until the child is two, currently in five NSW sites
• The Out of Home Care Health Pathway Program providing tiered health assessment, development of a health management plan, coordination of appropriate health interventions, and regular ongoing review for children entering statutory out of home care
• Prevention of sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI)

The services provided by Health are only one part of giving children the best start in life.