1. Review of Maternal and Child Health Service Strengthening early childhood foundations for Victorias children:

2. Things to be delighted about Strong relationships with Councils Positive attitude Creative thinking Solution focused Commitment to delivering the best for children and families High quality Things Ive noted Fragmentation of services for families Barriers to good information sharing and integrated working Access to services for children with additional needs Families that go missing Hard to reach families Lack of flexibility to target some families The future Uncompromising on quality Earlier support for vulnerable children Better service integration Since last time we met….

3. A quick update on your fantastic achievements Participation rates for 2011-12 Newborn visits remain at 100% 18 months – increased by 1.1% to 72.6% 2 years – increased by 1.4% to 70.3% 3.5 years – increased by 1.6% to 64.4% Increased participation of Aboriginal children and families 628,051 Key Ages and Stages consultations were conducted in 2011-12

4. MCH Services: building on a strong platform The MCH universal platform achieves several important public benefits A public health function covering the entire population Connecting to local community supports, activities and services Identifying issues early on, at every stage of a childs development Victorias MCH Service is leading the way across Australia and internationally Local government = major provider and of services for children and families The evidence base for leading the way Participation rates Satisfaction levels Other leading aspects: Victoria and MCH First national trial of sustained nurse home visiting Expanding data availability Agility and flexibility

5. Where are we now headed? We need to maintain a high quality, evidence based universal service for all children and families, while giving priority to, and improving outcomes for, vulnerable children and families. What are we going to do Look at how the MCH Service could work even better to achieve the best outcomes for children and their families based on the latest evidence Work closely with local government and other relevant experts and stakeholders to make sure we are heading in the right direction From there we will be able to identify short, medium and long term reform directions for the MCH service.

6. Supporting vulnerable children must be a priority WHY? The need for change (the burning platform) Our knowledge base is constantly improving and there is a need to focus on outcomes and quality Health, learning and development are intrinsically linked Improving service efficiency and effectiveness WHO? Some children are more at risk than others Although Victorias children are faring well overall, this is not the case for all children More can be done to improve outcomes and target services to particularly vulnerable cohorts HOW? There are new approaches to service delivery Progressive universalism Strong universal service: differentiated approach to meeting needs Multi-Agency Support Teams Recognising the importance of governance for promoting collaboration

7. Next steps… Continue to work tirelessly to improve outcomes for children and families Continue to work closely with vulnerable families to achieve better outcomes Continue conversations and work together with you to support you in your vital work.