The NSW Health First 2000 Days Framework policy guides maternity, child and family health services. Southern NSW LHD offers services that can be provided face-to-face or via virtual appointments, where appropriate. Referrals can be made with our Community Health Central Intake Service over the phone or by email.
Pregnancy, birth and baby services
We offer a variety of ways to receive maternity care in Southern NSW, letting you choose what care options work best for you before and after your baby is born. Find out more about our Pregnancy, birth and baby services and how we can support you.
Birth to five-year services
Child and family health nurses provide a free service for families with children from birth to 5 years of age. These services are usually provided in your home or a clinic at your local Community Health Centre.
Your local child and family health nurse will contact you following the birth of your baby and offer you an appointment. The Blue Book is a resource that you'll be given after your child’s birth and can assist you to complete the 1-4 week child health checks.
Southern NSW LHD offers the following care options:
Child growth and development checks
The child and family health nurse will track your child’s growth and development during your child's routine health and development checks at 6-8 weeks, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, 2 years, 3 years and 4 years.
The Blue Book is a resource that will assist with keeping track of your child’s progress. These check-ups will inform you about how your child is growing and help find any possible problems early. Find more information about child health and development.
Breastfeeding support and assistance
Our child and family health nurses can provide support and advice with breastfeeding. Find other breastfeeding support services.
You can also call the Breastfeeding Helpline, a free 24-hour service on 1800 686 268.
Groups for new parents
Some of our Community Health Centres provide groups for new parents. Contact your local child and family health nurse to ask about groups near you.
Immunisation
Vaccinating your child on time is the best way to help protect them against preventable and serious diseases. Contact your local child and family health nurse to make an appointment. Save The Date To Vaccinate has more useful resources and information.
Find your nearest child and family health nurse
| Service | Contact information |
|---|---|
| Batemans Bay Community Health | Phone: (02) 4471 6207 Address: Pacific Street, Batemans Bay, NSW 2536 |
| Bega Community Health | Phone: (02) 6491 9800 Address: Virginia Drive, Bega, NSW 2550 |
| Bombala Community Health | Phone: (02) 6458 5777 Address: 130 Wellington Street, Bombala, NSW 2632 |
| Braidwood Community Health | Phone: (02) 4842 9000 Address: 73 Monkittee Street, Braidwood, NSW 2622 |
| Cooma Community Health | Phone: (02) 6455 3201 Address: Victoria Street, Cooma, NSW 2630 |
| Crookwell Community Health | Phone: (02) 4837 5000 Address: 13-15 Kialla Rd, Crookwell, NSW 2583 |
| Eden Community Health | Phone: (02) 6491 7050 Address: Level 1 Twofold Arcade, Imlay Street, Eden, NSW 2551 |
| Goulburn Community Health | Phone: (02) 4825 4700 Address: 130 Goldsmith Street, Goulburn, NSW 2580 |
| Karabar Community Health | Phone: (02) 6150 7720 Address: 12 Southbar Road, Karabar, NSW 2620 |
| Moruya Community Health | Phone: (02) 4474 1561 Address: 11 River Road, Moruya, NSW 2573 |
| Narooma Community Health | Phone: (02) 4475 7200 Address: Cnr Field Street and Graham Street, Narooma, NSW 2546 |
| Pambula Community Health | Address: Merimbola Street, Pambula, NSW 2549 |
| Queanbeyan Community Health | Phone: (02) 6150 7150 Address: Cnr Collett Street and Erin Street, Queanbeyan, NSW 2620 |
| Yass Community Health | Phone: (02) 6220 2111 Address: 145 Meehan Street, Yass, NSW 2582 |
Brighter Beginnings
Our Brighter Beginnings team provide health and development checks for 4 – 5-year-old children at their daycare or preschool. The team has an occupational therapist, speech pathologist and team leader. We work collaboratively with families and early childhood educators to provide support to children who need help to reach developmental milestones, and guide families to find the right pathway for referrals to specialised services like assessments or ongoing individual therapy.
Contact the Brighter Beginnings team SNSWLHD-BrighterBeginnings@health.nsw.gov.au
Statewide Eyesight Preschooler Screening (StEPS)
The StEPS (Statewide Eyesight Preschooler Screening) program is an initiative of NSW Health and offers all children a free vision screen before they start school.
In Southern NSW screening is carried out in preschool and childcare centres throughout the year with catch up clinics offered in selected Community Health Centres for those children who have not been screened.
To have your child’s vision screened you will need to complete a consent form and return it to your child’s preschool/childcare centre who will forward it to the StEPS team. NSW Health strongly recommends that all children participate in the vision screening program before they start school.
Our StEPS team can be contacted at SNSWLHD-StEPS@health.nsw.gov.au
NSW Statewide Infant Screening - Hearing (SWIS-H) program
SWIS-h aims to identify all babies born with significant permanent bilateral hearing loss by three months of age and for those children to be able to access appropriate intervention by six months of age.
Screening services are provided by trained dedicated Infant Hearing Screeners connected to the five Maternity Services across Southern NSW LHD.
Screening usually occurs as an inpatient in the Maternity unit, as an outpatient at a Community Health Centre or during a home visit.
Infants requiring referral for Diagnostic Audiology are referred to providers outside the LHDs by the SWIS-h Coordinator.
SWIS-h travel assistance is available to eligible clients for the purpose of attending Diagnostic Audiology.
Infants identified as having risk factors for delayed onset of progressive hearing loss are provided with information regarding future hearing assessments (Visual Reinforcement Orientation Audiometry -VROA) and monitoring of age-appropriate developmental milestones.
Translations of NSW Statewide Infant Screening – Hearing (SWISH) Program fact sheets are available in over 30 languages.
Aboriginal child and family health
We have a range of services to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families in Southern NSW LHD.
Aboriginal Maternal Infant Health Service (AMIHS)
AMIHS provide antenatal and postnatal care from as early as possible in pregnancy up to eight weeks after birth for Aboriginal families. This includes routine pregnancy care in the home or health setting, health promotion and community activities, appropriate referrals and support to access other services.
Eurobodalla AMIHS
Monday to Wednesday, between 9am to 5pm
Phone: (02) 4475 1545
Address: 10 River Street, Moruya, NSW 2536
Queanbeyan AMIHS
Monday to Wednesday, between 9am to 5pm
Phone: (02) 6150 7000
Address: Corner of Collett and Erin Streets, Queanbeyan, NSW 2620
Eurobodalla Building Strong Foundations
Eurobodalla Building Strong Foundations (BSF) provide culturally safe child and family health services for Aboriginal children from birth to school age and their families, this includes regular child health checks (using the Blue Book), health promotion and community activities, appropriate referrals, and support to access other services.
BSF is delivered by a Child and Family Health Nurse and Aboriginal Health worker 5 days per week across the Eurobodalla area.
Eurobodalla BSF
Phone: (02) 4475 1545
Address: 10 River Street Moruya, NSW 2536
Eurobodalla New Directions
New Directions provide culturally safe child allied health services for Aboriginal children from birth to school age. New Directions services include health assessment and intervention in a health clinic, at home, at daycare or preschool, as well as education and support to families, parents, teachers or carers. The New Directions service has a Speech Pathologist, Dietitian, Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist, Aboriginal Health worker 2-3 days a week and a fulltime Social Worker. They provide services across the Eurobodalla region.
Eurobodalla New Directions
Phone: (02) 4475 1545
Address: 10 River Street Moruya, NSW 2536
Inpatient paediatric services
Inpatient paediatric services are offered in these locations:
Goulburn Base Hospital
Direct and emergency admissions. Medical, surgical and ENT services.
130 Goldsmith Street, Goulburn, NSW 2580
Paediatric / Children’s wards.
Phone: (02) 4827 3111
8 Beds, 24 hour Paediatricians and paediatric nursing staff.
Bega - South East Regional Hospital
Direct and emergency admissions. Medical, surgical, orthopaedic and some ENT services.
4 Virginia Drive, Bega, NSW 2550
Paediatric / Children’s wards.
Phone: (02) 6491 9999
6 Beds, 24 hour Paediatricians and paediatric nursing staff.
Community paediatric clinics
For community (outpatient) paediatrician appointments please seek a referral from your General Practitioner.
Bega
Coastal Network paediatricians are based at South East Regional Hospital in Bega and provide outreach clinics to Cooma, Eden and the Eurobodalla.
Phone: (02) 6491 9893
Fax: (02) 6933 9408
Cooma
South East Regional Hospital paediatricians provide outreach clinics to Cooma, Eden and the Eurobodalla.
Phone: (02) 6491 9893
Fax: (02) 6933 9408
Crookwell
Goulburn Base Hospital paediatricians provide outpatient clinics in Goulburn and outreach to Crookwell.
Phone: (02) 4825 4561
Fax: (02) 4825 4569
Eden
South East Regional Hospital paediatricians provide outreach clinics to Cooma, Eden and the Eurobodalla.
Phone: (02) 6491 9893
Fax: (02) 6933 9408
Eurobodalla
South East Regional Hospital paediatricians provide outreach clinics to Cooma, Eden and the Eurobodalla.
Phone: (02) 6491 9893
Fax: (02) 6933 9408
Goulburn
Goulburn Base Hospital paediatricians provide outpatient clinics in Goulburn and outreach to Crookwell.
Phone: (02) 4825 4561
Fax: (02) 4825 4569
Specialised services
Paediatric Care Co-Ordination
Southern NSW LHD has a care coordination service (Rural Kids GPS) to support children with medical complexities and their families.
The service works closely with the family and their healthcare teams to meet the needs of the child, receive support such as appointment coordination, shared care plans, and facilitating education and training for local staff.
Children and young people aged 0 to 18 and who meet one or more of the following criteria may be eligible for this service:
- a diagnosis expected to last at least 12 months
- presented to an Emergency Department on 2 or more occasions in the last 6 months
- admitted to hospital for seven days or more in the last 6 months
- had five or more outpatient appointments in the last 6 months.
You can self-refer to the service through our Community Health Central Intake service.
For children needing help with complex needs returning home from Canberra or Sydney Children’s Hospitals please contact the Paediatric Care Coordinator during business hours on 0436 932 712
Multidisciplinary Diagnostic Clinics (CIFTS)
The Child, Infant and Family Tertiary Services (CIFTS) provides multidisciplinary diagnostic assessments for children with complex problems.
To determine if this would be an appropriate referral please contact CIFTS directly on (02) 4825 4050 or SNSWLHD-CIFTS@health.nsw.gov.au
Referrals are accepted from health staff, general practitioners and teachers.
National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
The NDIS provides support for individuals with a disability.
The early childhood approach, delivered by an early childhood partner is for children younger than 9 years old. In Southern NSW LHD, the early childhood partner is EACH. Parents should contact EACH directly on 1300 003 224. The early childhood approach helps families of children younger than 6 with developmental delay or children younger than 9 with disability to access the right support when they need it.
The NDIS supports children who are over 9 years old with a disability. In Southern NSW LHD, the Local Area Coordinator partner is Uniting. Parents should contact Uniting directly on (02) 9275 9451 for support with applying to the NDIS. Alternatively, an NDIS access request form can be downloaded from the NDIS website or obtained directly by calling the NDIS National Contact Centre on 1800 800 110.
A Disability Advocate can provide support to people with disability and/or their family with applying to and navigating the NDIS, including access not met decisions, requests for further information, appeals and/or plan reassessments.
Find the right NDIS support for your child
Children 0-6years: Parents should contact EACH directly.
Children over 6 years: call the NDIS National Access Line on 1800 800 110.
Parents answer 4 questions concerning their child meeting the NDIS criteria and an Access Request Form (which is the application form for eligibility to the NDIS) will be mailed out to you. These forms are uniquely numbered and are not able to be obtained without calling the NDIS National Access Line.
Related information
- Sydney Children's Hospital Network Facts Sheet
- Australian Breastfeeding Association
- Maternal, child and family health
- Save The Date To Vaccinate
- Kidsafe
- Parenting young children
- Friendly Faces, Helping Hands Foundation
- Raising Children Network
- Kids health information - The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne
- NSW Women’s Health