Maternal and child health nurse Marjolijn with mum Lenka and baby Ruby
In 2017, the Andrews Government joined the ANMF and maternal and child health nurses in celebrating 100 years of Victoria’s Maternal and Child Health Service.
The government provided $81 million additional funding in the 2017–18 Budget for the Enhanced Maternal and Child Health Service, the Maternal and Child Health Line, outreach family violence services and training for maternal and child health nurses.
The $81.1 million package came on top of a historic investment in the service in the previous year’s Budget, bringing the total to $214.1 million.
The additional funding meant the enhanced service could be extended to 37,000 more families, with children aged up to three years of age being able to access the service. Scholarships of up to $10,000 were awarded to 77 nurses for postgraduate MCH study in 2018. The scholarship round for nurses undertaking postgraduate MCH study in 2019 opened for applications on 3 September.
On 9 October 2017, the Premier Daniel Andrews and Families and Children Minister Jenny Mikakos joined the ANMF and the Victorian Association of Maternal and Child Health Nurses – an ANMF special interest group – at Queens Hall, Parliament House, to launch our book 100 years of the Maternal and Child Health Service.
At the launch, Mr Andrews thanked maternal and child health nurses for their care and support that helps enable Victorian babies to become adults and fulfil their ‘limitless potential’.
Ms Mikakos described visiting maternal and child health services as one of the highlights of her time as Minister and was interviewed as part of our digital exhibition about the Maternal and Child Health Service’s centenary. The exhibition can be viewed at anmfvic.asn.au/mch100
