General News
11 May, 2023
New van expanding maternal and child health access
The Central Goldfields Shire’s Maternal and Child Health Service has been kitted out with a new set of wheels, with an outreach van expanding the service’s access to the community. The Outreach Learning and Development Van, funded by the...
The Central Goldfields Shire’s Maternal and Child Health Service has been kitted out with a new set of wheels, with an outreach van expanding the service’s access to the community.
The Outreach Learning and Development Van, funded by the Victorian Government, will enable the maternal and child health team, supported playgroup and immunisation teams to deliver services throughout the community.
Maternal and Child Health acting coordinator Leonie Harper said the van will be used on a weekly basis and supports the existing outreach service.
“Really the van is a mobile maternal and child health consulting room — it’s basically set up as an office and the whole idea is for it to improve our access to the community,” she said.
“We like to do outreach and there are particular need clients that we do home visits for.
“There was a need identified for this because travel can be difficult to arrange and there isn’t much public transport available locally.
“The van is going to provide easier access to our services rather than having to come into town.”
The exterior of the van has been decorated by local kindergarten children and Ms Harper said it will be regularly seen at local events.
“Our plan is to take the van and attend at least one outreach session per week, so we might be in Dunolly one week and Carisbrook the next for example,” she said.
“We’ve planned to use the van at children’s festivals, in our outreach immunisation sessions, supported playgroups, at kindergartens and childcare centres.”
Maternal and Child Health services can be contacted on 5461-6550, where clients can ask to specifically book an outreach appointment.