Child health service celebrates 100 years
While Baw Baw Shire’s Maternal and Child Health Nursing Service is celebrating its centenary this year, attention has quickly turned to the years ahead as numbers utilising the services rapidly grow.
Maternal and Child Health Nursing and Supported Play Group coordinator Marilyn Humphrey said the service had been expanding to cater for a steady increase of births in the shire.
With 555 births recorded in the shire last year, that number is set to increase again with 565 births predicted for this year.
Victoria’s Maternal and Child Health Service began in 1917 when a group of dedicated women established the first Baby Health Centre in Richmond in response to concerns about unacceptably high infant mortality rates.
Within a short period of time several centres were established in metropolitan and rural areas.
Centres often began in temporary rooms prior to permanent facilities being built. The centres needed to be accessible for mothers with prams and consultations were free of charge without appointment.
Word of mouth, local newspapers and churches spread news of the centres. Mobile services visited rural areas to demonstrate the benefit of the nursing care and to encourage councils to have a permanent facility.
Mrs Humphrey said the service had evolved over time, from small centres to community hubs.
“The service has evolved from primarily women to monitor parenting skills in small centres to community hubs offering many early years’ services,” she said.
“There has been a change in the role of women.
“The stresses of modern day life and going back to work has put a different slant on services provided and skills needed.”
With former sites including a building in Queen St near the park, the service has been moving to cater for increased demand, which is likely to see the service eventually outgrow its current facility in Normanby St.
The service currently employs nine Maternal Child Health Care nurses, including a specialist enhanced nurse who conducts home visits to cater for families with greater needs.
Local centres are based in Warragul, Drouin, Trafalgar and Yarragon with outreach services at Neerim District Soldiers Memorial Hospital and Willow Grove.
Nurses will often have between eight and 10 appointments back-to-back on any given day.
Mrs Humphrey said while it was nice to celebrate the milestone, it had quickly returned to business as usual.
“It’s nice to have a celebration that we do a job well, but it’s quickly move on to business as usual,” she said.
“We don’t get much opportunity to show what we do.”