Maternal and Child Health Conferences
In collaboration with the DH, MAV hosts Maternal and Child Health Conferences twice a year.
The conferences provide an opportunity for the workforce to come together and learn about a range of subjects and areas that impact on the Maternal and Child Health Service.
Importantly, they provide an opportunity to network across the profession, the tiers of government and academia.
The conferences are open to all MCH nurses, MCH students and allied health professionals working in the maternal and child health sector.
The next Maternal and Child Health Conference (hybrid) will be held on Friday 28 March 2025, at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) and online. Further details, including registration information will be provided shortly.
On this page
This page features presentations and videos from the following events:
- MCH Conference (October 2024)
- MCH Conference (March 2024)
- MCH Conference (September 2023)
- MCH Conference (March 2023)
- MCH Conference (November 2022)
- MCH Conference (May 2022)
- MCH Conference (October 2021)
- EMCH Professional Development Workshop (June 2021)
- EMCH Professional Development Workshop (April 2021)
- MCH Conference (February 2021)
- MCH Conference (October 2020)
- Tele-practice - Confident practitioners and connected families (June 2020)
- EMCH Workforce IRIS Training (February 2020)
- MCH Conference (November 2019)
- EMCH Workforce Professional Development Day (April 2019)
- MCH Conference (March 2019)
- MCH Conference (October 2018)
- MCH Conference (March 2018)
- MCH Conference (November 2017)
- MCH Conference (April 2017)
MCH Conference (October 2024)
A collection of presentations from the side-wide MCH conference held on Friday 25 October 2024.
MCH Conference
Presentations:
- MCH Conference - Agenda - October 2024 (PDF - 132KB)
- Presentation 1 - Continuity of Care Model - Sam Vella (PDF -1.56MB)
- Presentation 2 - The Continuity of Care Feasibility Pilot Program - Briody Main & Ann Colohan (PDF - 2.25MB)
- Presentation 3 - Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative - Debbie Woolnough (PDF - 4.31MB)
- Presentation 4 - Maternity and Early Years Service - Mandy Stephens (PDF - 3.2MB)
- Presentation 5 - Continuity of Care: A Model of Care in Enhanced Maternal and Child Health Wangaratta - Liz Flamsteed (PDF - 2.28MB)
- Presentation 6 - Continuity of MCH Care - Professor Leesa Hooker (PDF - 1.34MB)
- Presentation 8 - Parenting Today in Victoria: Key Findings and Resources for Families - Zvezdana Petrovic (PDF - 2.63MB)
- Presentation 9 - Wounded Healer: The Lived Experience of Postpartum Psychosis - Ariane Beeston (PDF - 884KB)
- Presentation 10 - Working with Dads - Dom Alford (PDF - 542KB)
- Presentation 11 - Refugee Health: Considering Our Smallest New Arrivals in MCH Care - Georgia Paxton (PDF - 8.2MB)
- Presentation 12 - Exploring MCH Nurses' Clinical Supervision Practice: Findings from Research and Future Directions - Anne O'Neill (PDF - 470KB)
- Retirement Reflections (PDF - 13MB)
MCH Conference (March 2024)
A collection of presentations from the side-wide MCH conference held on Friday 22 March 2024.
MCH Conference - 22 March 2024 - Session 1
MCH Conference - 22 March 2024 - Session 2
MCH Conference - 22 March 2024 - Session 3
Celebration Video
Presentations:
- MCH Conference - Agenda - March 2024 (PDF - 152KB)
- Presentation 1 - Child Wellbeing and Changing Trajectories - Dr Billy Garvey (PDF - 2.2MB)
- Presentation 2 - Brave Foundation: Supporting Expecting & Parenting Teens Program (PDF - 785KB)
- Presentation 3 - Children in Out of Home Care (OOHC): Tips and Tricks - Karen McLean & Alice Cookson (PDF - 2.33MB)
- Presentation 4 - Consultative Council on Obstetric and Paediatric Mortality and Morbidity - Mark Umstad (PDF - 1.1MB)
- Presentation 5 - Childhood Injury Prevention Update - Jason Chambers (PDF - 3MB)
- Presentation 6 - Child Injuries and Fatalities from Fire: Reducing the Risks - Geoff Kaandorp (PDF - 420KB)
- Presentation 7 - Skin and Brain - Gabriel Dabscheck (PDF - 628KB)
- Presentation 8 - New Medicines in Breastfeeding - Rodney Whyte (PDF - 1MB)
MCH Conference (September 2023)
A collection of presentation from the side-wide MCH conference held on Friday 8 September 2023.
MCH Conference - 8 September 2023 - Video 1
MCH Conference - 8 September 2023 - Video 2
MCH Conference -8 September 2023 - Video 3
Presentations:
- MCH Conference agenda (PDF - 201KB)
- Presentation 1 - Safer Care MCH Clinical Updates - Marcia Armstrong (PDF - 1.5MB)
- Presentation 2 - The Victorian Infant Hearing Screening Program Update - Dr Melinda Barker (PDF - 1.59MB)
- Presentation 3 - A vital link in managing hepatitis B and reducing liver cancer - Mieken-Grant (PDF - 2.64MB)
- Presentation 4 - Slow weight gain and malnutrition in infants - Dr Greg Rowles (PDF - 235KB)
- Presentation 5 - Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED) - Dr. Joanna Lawrence (PDF - 530KB )
- Presentation 6 - Breast milk substitutes – update on regulations and emerging products - Janelle Kwon (PDF - 604KB)
- Presentation 7 - MCH Line working in partnership (PDF - 1.21MB)
- Presentation 8 - Speaker’s answers to questions (PDF - 214 KB) - Password protected
MCH Conference (March 2023)
A collection of presentations from the state-wide MCH conference held on Friday 3 March 2023.
MCH Conference - 3 March 2023 - Video 1
MCH Conference - 3 March 2023 - Video 2
MCH Conference - 3 March 2023 - Video 3
Presentations
- MCH Conference Agenda (PDF - 227KB)
- Sonia Evans, Beth Gammell, Dr Laila Ibrahim - How We Work With Families at RCH When Growth and Feeding Fall Off the Ledge (PDF - 1.17MB)
- Daniella Villano - Improving Outcomes in SMA: Early Signs and Symptoms in Infants (PDF - 1.05MB)
- Melanie Courtney - Child Injury Prevention – Trends and Resources (PDF - 2.44MB)
- Catherine Chamberlain - Supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Families to Transform Cycles of Intergenerational Trauma (PDF - 2.98MB)
- Dr Scott Parsons - Viral Respiratory Infections in the Young – Myths and Facts (PDF - 1.83MB)
MCH Conference (November 2022)
A collection of presentations from the state-wide MCH conference held on Friday 11 November 2022.
MCH Conference - 11 November 2022 - Video 1
MCH Conference - 11 November 2022 - Video 2
Presentations
- MCH Conference Agenda (PDF - 190KB)
- Reflections from MCaFHNA Conference - Ann Hindell (PDF - 1.33MB)
- The Victorian Journey of the Pandemic - Telehealth in MCH Practice - Kim Howland (PDF - 429KB)
- The Victorian Journey of the Pandemic - The Hume Experience - Karen Gates (PDF - 1.39MB)
- The Victorian Journey of the Pandemic - The Surge Response - Helen Lees (PDF - 556KB)
- Service Provision in a Diverse & Multicultural Community - Cathie Arndt (PDF - 1.84MB)
- CALD Outreach Worker Initiative - Karen Kerr, Madeeha Khalil, Aneked Harris (PDF - 2.16MB)
- Paediatric Refugee and Asylum Seeker Health - Dr Rija Khanal (PDF - 4.66MB)
- Brimbank Bear Bus during COVID - Carmel Pritchard (PDF - 2.22MB)
- Supporting Families in Hotel Quarantine - Fiona Ryan (PDF - 2.79MB)
- Community Strength Through COVID-19 Outbreak - Stacey East (PDF - 474KB)
- Evolving Australian MCHN Centres for Natural Disasters. 2020 Bushfire impact on nursing dyads (PDF - 4.69MB)
- Supporting our Mini Movers: Integrating a Paediatric Occupational Therapist into the Surf Coast Maternal and Child Health Service - Amy Clemens & Lauren McDonnell (PDF - 2.12MB)
- Supporting Our LGBTQIA+ Community - Jenni Aldous & Maree Adams (PDF - 3.24MB)
MCH Conference (May 2022)
A collection of presentations from the state-wide MCH conference held on Friday 25 May 2022.
MCH Conference - 27 May 2022 - Video 1
MCH Conference - 27 May 2022 - Video 2
MCH Conference - 27 May 2022 - Video 3
Presentations
- Louise Young/Patti Reilly Presentation (PDF - 1.5MB)
- Karen Hoffman Presentation (PDF - 8.7MB)
- Kristelle Hudry Presentation (PDF - 1.7MB)
- Adelaide Giddens/Kathy McConell Presentation (PDF - 2.9MB)
- Warwick Teague Presentation (PDF - 10.8MB)
- Sharon Goldfeld Presentation (PDF - 4.3MB)
MCH Conference (October 2021)
A collection of presentations and videos from the state-wide MCH conference held on Friday 22 October 2021.
- Antenatal Screening - Jenny Chapman (PDF - 1.8MB)
- MCHN forum - Jessica Lachlan (PDF - 1.6MB)
- New Directions - Anna Love (PDF - 773KB)
- Vicarious Trauma - Michaela Hart (PDF - 528KB)
- VicHealth - Sandro Demaio (PDF - 5.1MB)
Conference recordings
The sessions at MCH Conference were recorded and are available below, they can also be viewed at Vimeo.
MCH Conference - 22 October 2021 - Part 1
MCH Conference - 22 October 2021 - Part 2
MCH Conference - 22 October 2021 - Part 3
EMCH Professional Development Workshop (June 2021)
A recording of the EMCH Professional Development workshop in June 2021.
EMCH Professional Development Workshop (April 2021)
A recording of the EMCH Professional Development workshop held 22 April 2021.
- Expansion of the EMCH Program (PowerPoint - 415KB)
- Model of Care – Revision (PowerPoint - 874KB)
- Feedback on the Evaluation of the Expanded Enhanced MCH Program – Interim Report 4 and current data collection (PowerPoint - 950KB)
- Changes to recording in CDIS in line with the EMCH MOC (PowerPoint - 126KB)
- Example of Recording for EMCH visit including KAS (PowerPoint - 78KB)
- Tracking your activities in CDIS whist awaiting CDIS Reporting Module (PowerPoint - 215KB)
MCH Conference (February 2021)
A collection of presentations and videos from the state-wide MCH conference held on Friday 26 February 2021.
- Conference Program (PDF – 781KB)
- Acknowledgement - Order of Australia for Services to Maternal and Child Health for Amanda Stephan (Vimeo)
- Reflections on 2020 - Learnings from COVID by Marcia Armstrong (PDF – 813KB)
- The Relevance of the Infant Feeding Guidelines in 2021 by Emeritus Professor Colin Binns (PDF - 2.9MB)
- Breastfeeding assessment and red flags for intervention and referral, including a telehealth component by Dr Anita Bearzatto (PDF – 2.5MB)
- Paediatric Update: The Importance of Head Circumference - when to reassure, when to monitor, and when to refer? By Professor Rod Hunt (PDF – 2.6MB)
- Paediatric Update: Preterm babies – what happens to them when they grow up? By Professor Jeanie Cheong (PDF – 3.9MB)
- Paediatric Update: Common Paediatric Surgical Conditions by Dr Tracey Merriman (PDF - 6MB)
Conference recordings
The sessions at MCH Conference were recorded and are available below.
MCH Conference - February 2021 - Part 1
MCH Conference - February 2021 - Part 2
MCH Conference - February 2021 - Part 3
Supplementary Readings
- CCOPMM – Recommendations (PDF – 1.5MB)
- CCOPMM – Child and adolescent mortality (PDF – 1.2MB)
- CCOPMM – Maternal mortality and morbidity (PDF – 867KB)
- CCOPMM – Mothers and babies (PDF – 1.3MB)
- CCOPMM – Perinatal mortality (PDF – 988KB)
- Presentation by Nic Watson – MARAM - what is risk? (PowerPoint - 868KB)
- Presentation by Associate Professor Sebastian King – Paediatric Constipation (PowerPoint - 11MB)
- Presentation by Helen Watson - 2020 Year of the Nurse and Midwife (PDF - 20MB)
- Presentation by Karen Campbell – INFANT presentation (PDF - 2.1MB)
- Presentation by Associate Professor, Alexis Shubb (PDF - 7.3MB)
- IRIS and Enhanced MCH - Jane Caldwell, Wodonga City Council (PowerPoint - 861KB)
- IRIS Minimum Time Recording Guide, City of Wodonga, 2020 (Word - 18.7KB)
- Conference Agenda (PDF - 199KB)
- 1). Opening - Jenny Mikakos MP, Minister for Health and Minister for Ambulance Services - Pre-recorded (Vimeo - 2m 29s)
- 3). Principal Nurse Update - Marcia Armstrong, Principal MCH Nurse Adviser, Department of Health and Human Services (PowerPoint - 8.8MB)
- 5). Keynote Speaker: Turning the Evidence on Preventing Infant Sleep Problems into Guidelines for Professionals and Parents - Emeritus Professor Ian St James-Roberts, Thomas Coram Research Unit, UCL Institute of Education, University College London (PowerPoint - 1.1MB)
- 6). Co-Sleeping and Bed Sharing - Jane Wiggill, Manager Health & Advocacy, Red Nose Australia (PowerPoint - 9.4MB)
- 7). Principles of First Nations Childrearing - Dr Mishel McMahon, Ngarrapna Indigenous Education Unit, La Trobe University (PowerPoint - 12.6MB)
- 8). Deadly Boorais and Deadly Families: An Aboriginal Maternal and Child Health Initiative - Teagen Cornelissens and Elizabeth Dougall, Whittlesea City Council (PDF - 9.88MB)
- 9). Transporting Children Safely - Zora Marko, Road Safety Education Manager, Early Learning Association Australia (PowerPoint - 26.1MB)
- Presentation 1 - Bernie Peacock - City of Ballarat (PDF - 423KB)
- Presentation 2 - Sue Murray - Mornington Peninsula Shire Council (PDF - 752KB)
- Presentation 3 - Brooke Arnold - Loddon Shire Council (PDF - 894KB)
- Presentation 4 - Dr Tim Moore - The Royal Childrens Hospital (PDF - 2.3MB)
- Conference Agenda (PDF - 676KB)
- Mandatory Reporting - Linda Gerdtz, Statewide Principal Practitioner for Families and Children, Department of Health and Human Services (PDF - 856KB)
- MCH Legal Obligations: Privacy, Consent and Documentation - Kristine Minghella, MAV Insurance Counsel, MAV (PDF - 482KB)
- Clinical Update: From Gums To Bums: Common Gastrointestinal Surgical Presentations In Children - Associate Professor Sebastian King, Colorectal Surgeon, Department of Paediatric Surgery, The Royal Children’s Hospital (PDF - 2.47MB)
- Principal MCH Nurse Address - Marcia Armstrong, Principal MCH Nurse Advisor, Department of Health and Human Services (PDF - 1.46MB)
- Clinical Update: Paediatric Eye Disease: Red Flags and Common Complaints - Sandra Staffieri, Clinical & Research Orthoptist - Centre For Eye Research Australia; Retinoblastoma Care Coordinator - The Royal Children’s Hospital (PDF - 4.28MB)
- MCH Conference - Paediatric Eye Disease - Sandra Staffieri - March 2019 - Vimeo
- Clinical Update: Introduction To Solids: Making Sense of the Guidelines - Professor Karen Campbell, Professor of Population Nutrition, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University (PDF - 2.03MB)
- Conference Agenda (PDF - 703KB)
- Family violence & women with disabilities - Edwina Breitzke & Kelly Parry, Women with Disabilities Victoria (PDF - 990KB)
- Family violence & child information sharing reforms - Rachel Green (FSV), Lisa Gandolfo & Stacey Gabriel (DET) (PDF - 1.54MB)
- Toddler development instrument - Cathie Nolan & Kim Thomson, Comprehensive Monitoring (PDF - 0.98MB)
- Baby teeth need cleaning too - Gillian Lang, Dental Health Services Victoria (PDF - 2.28MB)
- Meeting the need for Early Parenting Services in a more timely and responsive way - Helen Cunningham, Queen Elizabeth Centre (PDF - 1.52MB)
- DET PD training for autism - Josephine Barbaro, Senior Research Fellow, Latrobe University (PDF - 1.15MB)
- Breastfeeding tongue ties and jaundice management - Gillian Opie, Neonatal paediatrician, Mercy Hospital for Women (PDF - 1.23MB)
- Conference Agenda (PDF - 274KB)
- Principal Nurse Update - Marcia Armstrong, Principal MCH Nurse Advisor, Department of Education & Training (PDF - 724KB)
- Working with fragile families: the evolving MCHN role - Emeritus Professor Dorothy Scott AM, University of Melbourne (keynote speaker) (PDF - 1.17MB)
- Father Inclusive Practice - Dr Chris May, University of Newcastle (PDF - 4.4MB)
- Perceptor Paper Results - Lael Ridgway, La Trobe University (PDF - 942KB)
- Family Violence Reform: Risk assessment and information sharing - Sabdha Charlton, Department of Education & Training (PDF - 585KB)
- Trauma Informed Practice - Hannah Matus, Department of Education & Training (PDF - 1.09MB)
- MumSpace and MumMoodBooster - Dr Jessica Oliva, Austin Health, Perinatal Depression e-Consortium (PDF - 1.01MB)
- Playgroup Transition Project - Danny Schwarz, Playgroup Victoria (PDF - 589KB)
- Refugee Health (Innovative Project) - Bernadette Harrison, City of Greater Dandenong (PDF - 747KB)
- Birth Registrations: A Human Rights Issue - Dr Melissa Castan, Monash University (PDF - 3.63MB)
- Inclusive Practice: The First 1000 Days - Professor Kerry Arabena, University of Melbourne, and First 1000 Days Australia (PDF - 3.88MB)
- View a live recording or webstream version of the March 2018 MCH Conference.
- Conference Agenda (PDF - 267KB)
- “But They Never Told Me I Had Hepatitis!” The Role of the MCHN in Preventing Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B Related Liver Cancer - Gabrielle Bennett, Victorian Viral Hepatitis Educator, St Vincent’s Hospital (PDF - 1.13MB)
- Non-judgmental conversations with parents worried about vaccines side-effects - Dr Jenny Royle, Immunisation Paediatrician, NEST Family Clinic, Elsternwick (PDF - 3.06MB)
- Supporting parents to register a birth - James Lawson, Director and Registrar, Births Deaths and Marriages (PDF - 479KB)
- MCH Smartphone App - Gavin Hince, MCH website/App Project Manager, Department Education & Training (PDF - 606KB)
- Infant Nutrition – What’s new? - Angela Harris, Clinical Dietitian, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne (PDF - 3.32MB)
- Girl is Not a Predictive Category - Nelly Thomas, Comedian and Author (PDF - 2.46MB)
- View live recording of the November 2017 MCH Conference
- Video 1 - Hon Minister Jenny Mikakos - MCH Conference - Nov 2017
- Video 2 - Play Learn Grow - MCH Conference - Nov 2017
- Video 3 - Fatal Distraction - MCH Conference - Nov 2017
- Conference Agenda (PDF - 409KB)
- Maternal Child and Family Health Nurses Australia (MCaFHNA) Conference 2017 - Bernice Boland, Chair of the Victorian Association of Maternal & Child Health Nurses, VAMCHN Representative to MCaFHNA and Chair of the MCaFHNA Conference 2017 (PDF - 768KB)
- VEYLDF: ‘Wellbeing from birth is both a prerequisite for and an outcome of learning' - Carmel Phillips, Manager, Early Years Unit, Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority; Ann McNair, Coordinator, Maternal and Child Health, Hume City Council; Karen Freeman, Maternal and Child Health Nurse, City of Maribyrnong (PDF - 950KB)
- The Pauline Gandel Children’s Gallery and The Museum Generation: Museum Victoria and MCH partnership project - Kate Brereton and Alex Price (PDF - 1.43MB)
- The Pauline Gandel Children’s Gallery and The Museum Generation: Museum Victoria and MCH partnership project - Kate Brereton and Alex Price (PowerPoint - 33.9MB including embedded video)
- Parenting with feeling: Infant-parent interventions and developmental risk - Prof Louise Newman, Director, Centre for Women’s Mental Health at the Royal Women’s Hospital and Professor of Psychiatry at University of Melbourne (PDF - 4.79MB)
MCH Conference (October 2020)
A collection of presentations and videos from the state-wide MCH conference held on Friday 30 October 2020.
Conference recording
A recording of the entire 2020 MCH Conference (6 hours 12 minutes):
Presentations:
Resources:
Tele-practice - Confident practitioners and connected families (Delivered online)
Supporting professionals to confidently connect with and meet the needs of families online, by exploring the processes and practices that promote safety and help build rapport and trust between parents and practitioners. A recording of the online conference held on Monday 15 June 2020.
EMCH Workforce IRIS Training (February 2020)
See presentations and videos from the IRIS training held on Wednesday 26 February 2020:
Videos
View live recordings of the February 2020 training workshop below.
EMCH IRIS Training (Part 1 of 3)
EMCH IRIS Training (Part 2 of 3)
EMCH IRIS Training (Part 3 of 3)
MCH Conference (November 2019)
See presentations and videos from the conference held on Friday 1 November 2019:
EMCH Workforce Professional Development Day (April 2019)
Presentations from the Enhanced Maternal and Child Health Workforce Professional Development Day held 4 April 2019.
MCH Conference (March 2019)
See presentations from the conference held on Friday 1 March 2019:
Videos
View a live recording of the March 2019 MCH Conference
Live Recording (Part 1 of 3)
Live Recording (Part 2 of 3)
Live Recording (Part 3 of 3)
MCH Conference (October 2018)
See presentations from the conference held on Friday 26 October 2018:
Videos
View a live recording of the October 2018 MCH Conference.
Live recording (Part 1 of 3)
Live recording (Part 2 of 3)
Live recording (Part 3 of 3)
MCH Conference (March 2018)
See presentations from the conference held on Friday 23 March 2018:
Videos
MCH Conference (November 2017)
See presentations from the conference held on Friday 3 November 2017:
Videos
MCH Conference (April 2017)
See presentations from the conference held on Friday 21 April 2017: