Growth & Development

It's important to keep a close eye on your child's growth and development in the early years and to pick up any issues as soon as possible.

Blue Book Checks

New parents in New South Wales are given a Child Personal Health Record, aka the Blue Book, so they can record details about their child's health, growth, development, illness, injuries and immunisations until the child is around four years old. Bring your child in for a routine Blue Book check at one of our Child and Family Health locations.

Come in for checks at:

Learn the Signs. Act Early.

There are many resources available for families to track a child's growth and development produced by NSW Health. You can track you child's development using the Learn the Signs. Act Early. milestone materials, including milestone monitoring tools, a poster and parent information in 18 community languages. You can also download the Love Talk Sing Read Play app, or the Deadly Tots app (created especially for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families).

If you have any concerns, contact one of our Child and Family Health centres.

Other Services

If your child is having difficulty with communication, you can access our Children's Speech Pathology services.

If your child has challenges in their gross motor skills, including developmental, musculoskeletal and other complex problems, you can access our Children's Physiotherapy services.

If your child requires support developing skills such as self-care skills, play, movement or hand skills and handwriting, you may be able to access our Children's Occupational Therapy services. You need a referral from your GP to access this service.

More Information

• Learn the Signs. Act Early.
  Centre for Disease Control and Prevention's information on milestones your child should reach form birth to five years. You can track you child's development with the information on this site.
• Love Talk Sing Read Play
  An app that contains information for every family to help their child/ren learn and develop.
• Playgroup NSW
  Playgroup is an informal session where mums, dads, grandparents, caregivers, children and babies meet up in a relaxed and friendly environment. They are community based, parent run and usually held weekly.
• Tresillian Parent Helpline
  Tel 9787 0855
  Tresillian's Parent Helpline is a telephone services where you can speak to a Child and Family Health nurse on any aspect of parenting children aged up to five (5) years.
• Raising Children Network
  Australian government funded site providing reliable, up-to-date and independent information for families on all aspects of child rearing, including help with sleeping and settling.
• Families NSW
  Families NSW have produced a range of resources for parents to provide advice and information on the social, emotional and intellectual development of your child.
• Parentline
  Tel 1300 130052
  Parent Line is a telephone counselling, information and referral service for parents of children ages 0 to 18 who live in New South Wales.
• Resourcing Parents
  Resourcing Parents provides parenting education information to parents and carers of children aged 0-18 years. It includes current parenting programs available in the St George and Sutherland area.
• Southern Sydney Multiple Birth Association
  Not-for-profit, volunteer-run organisation that provides support, services and activities to multiple birth families.