Child, youth and family health

Child, youth and family service provides child growth and development checks. It also provides tests, immunisation, parenting advice and support to give children the best possible start in life.

Our services

We provide comprehensive child, youth and family health services across the Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service.

We see children from birth up to 15 years of age for:

• pre and postnatal care
• parenting support
• breast feeding and healthy eating support
• growth and developmental health checks
• hearing and vision screening
• immunisations
• advice and support for family wellbeing
• Mum’s & Bub’s group.

We can see you in person, at home, via telehealth and telephone consultations as well as visits to schools, kindergartens and child care centres.

Our Child Health Team include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health care workers and Child Health Nurses. We work in collaboration with and other health professionals such as doctors, paediatricians, occupational therapists, speech therapists, physiotherapists.

This is an outreach service based out of the Weipa Integrated Health Service.

Health and development checks

We help parents monitor the health, wellbeing and development of their child, with guidance from a child health nurse.

Health and development checks are listed in your child's Personal Health Record book - also known as the 'red book'. We usually check your child at the following ages:

• 2 months
• 4 months
• 6 months
• 9 months
• 1 year
• 18 months
• 2 years
• two-and-a-half years
• 3 years
• 4 to 5 years.

If you have any concerns about your child’s development, health or wellbeing, talk to your child health nurse.

How to access this service

You can access this service by contacting your local health care team.

Please bring your child’s Personal Health Record book to your appointment. This book is a valuable record of your child’s growing, developing and immunisation.

This service is free for Medicare card holders.