Your child’s development
Early learning at home
Children learn more in their first 5 years of life than any other time. It’s important your child has opportunities to learn and develop every day.
Find out more about your child’s development on the Starting Blocks website.
Health and development checks
It’s important for parents and health professionals to track child development so any problems are picked up early. There are 5 key areas of development:
- gross motor skills, such as jumping and climbing
- fine motor skills, such as drawing and getting dressed
- speech and language
- cognitive and intellectual, such as counting or sorting shapes
- social and emotional skills, such as naming feelings and making friends.
Find out more about toddler and preschooler health and development on the Raising Children website.
Getting regular health checks
A child health nurse or doctor can track your child’s development.
When they were born, you were given a Child Health Record that your nurse or doctor will use for each appointment. The Child Health Record is often called a blue, red, green or purple book, depending on the colour of the book in your state or territory.
Your child needs a health check at 18 months, 2 years, 3 years and 4 years of age.
You can find out more about health checks in your state or territory. These links will take you away from myGov.
| State or territory | Resources |
|---|---|
| ACT | MACH Health Checks |
| NSW | Getting regular health checks |
| NT | Baby and child screening and assessment clinics |
| Qld | Baby and early childhood health issues and concerns |
| SA | Health and Development Checks |
| Tas | Child Health and Parenting Service |
| Vic | Maternal and child health services |
| WA | Child Health |
Concerns about your child’s development
If you're concerned about your child's development, talk to your child's doctor, early childhood educator or child health nurse. If they agree there is a concern, you can seek help through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
NDIS early childhood partners can work with you and connect you to supports if:
- your child is younger than 6 with developmental delay
- your child is younger than 9 with disability.
Children younger than 6 don't need a diagnosis to get support.
Early childhood partners can:
- provide information
- connect you to services and supports in your community
- connect you with other families
- help you apply for the NDIS.
Find out more about the early childhood approach on the NDIS website.
If you get payments from Services Australia
Your child may need to have a Healthy Start for School health check when they’re turning 4. If this affects you, Services Australia will send you a letter.
Find out more about Healthy Start for School on the Services Australia website.
Your child’s health information
You can use your child’s My Health Record to keep track of their health information.
You, and your health care providers, can record things like your child’s allergies and medicines. My Health Record keeps your child’s health information secure and can be accessed at any time.
Find out more about accessing or creating a child's health record on the Digital Health website.
Help in your language
Find information in your language on the My Health Record website.
Call the Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450 and they will connect you to My Health Record.