Maternal and Child Health workforce training and resources

The Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Workforce Support program is fully funded by the Department of Health and provides funding across Local Government Areas and Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations.

This program supports clinical placements, graduate placements, and clinical preceptor programs as strategies to build capacity in Victorian MCH services.

The department supports this priority by allocating funds to MCH service providers to contribute to the costs associated with:

• placements for MCH nursing students commencing study
• the provision of support for graduate MCH nurses commencing work
• clinical preceptor (teaching) programs across MCH service providers
• local recruitment and promotion strategies to attract more MCH nurses and multidisciplinary staff into MCH services, and promote these settings as positive workplaces.

Email mch@health.vic.gov.au for more information.

The MCH Scholarship Program is fully funded by the Department of Health.

The state-wide initiative supports registered nurses and midwives to undertake postgraduate studies in Child and Family Health Nursing at 3 universities:

• La Trobe University
• RMIT University
• Federation University

This initiative aims to grow the future MCH nursing workforce so that it is sustainable and able to meet future service needs.

The department supports the MCH Scholarship Program by providing funding for:

• Full-time students over one year
• Part-time students over 2 years

The number and value of scholarships offered will be determined based on the number of eligible students enrolled in the postgraduate course.

Bursaries are also available for eligible students.

How to apply

Federation, La Trobe and RMIT universities administer the MCH Scholarship Program in partnership with the department. Apply by contacting the universities.

Applications are now open.

Prospective MCH students applicants are required to have:

• current registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) as both a Registered Nurse and a Midwife
• a minimum of 12 months of recent experience in both nursing and midwifery, amounting to a total of 2 years.

For course Information, see Prospective MCH students on the Municipal Association of Victoria website.

Cultural safety training is fully funded by the department. It focuses on developing broad foundational knowledge of Aboriginal cultures, history, and working in partnership to provide services to Aboriginal families.

The training will support MCH nurses in their professional competency to practice in a culturally safe way and build the capacity of MCH services. They can then implement these culturally safe practices into organisational processes and policies.

All MCH nursing and non-nursing staff are expected to undertake the training.

Please note: Cultural safety training is currently unavailable while the department engages a new training provider. Future training opportunities will be shared once available.

Email mch@health.vic.gov.au for more information.

Online Autism professional development training is fully funded by the department.

The training:

• Assists MCH nurses to build their skills and confidence in identifying early signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
• Provides appropriate referrals during the Key Ages and Stages (KAS) visits at 12, 18 and 24 months of age.

MCH nurses who have undertaken this training in 2019 can use the modules for revision (this revision is recommended every 2 years).

New participants will receive a certificate on completion of all modules.

Enrolling

MCH coordinators/managers and university course coordinators can register staff by emailing their details to La Trobe University via sacs.vic@latrobe.edu.au. Include:

• full name
• email address
• name of MCH service/university/Early Parenting Centres).

PEDS-R eLearning training is available with the Centre for Community Child Health, through the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne.

For training enquiries, email training.ccch@rch.org.au and identify that you work in a Victorian MCH service.

Red Nose offer online learning resources, such as the Red Nose Safe Sleeping eLearning course.

An online training course in the Sleep and Settling model of care can be accessed through the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare.

Completion of this course is mandatory prior to undertaking the sleep and settling program in practice.

How to access the eLearning module

MCH staff can register using the Sleep and settling registration form.

After you register:

1. The Centre will enrol you in the Learning Management System (LMS) if you meet the eligibility criteria. If you do not meet the eligibility criteria, you will be advised via email from The Centre.
2. You will receive an automated email confirming account creation. This email will include a link to the LMS registration page.
3. Activate your account by creating a password on the registration page.
4. Log in to access the 6 Sleep and Settling eLearning modules.

After completing the course, you can download your certificate of completion.

For help, email training@cfecfw.org.au.

Online learning for the Child Information Sharing Scheme (CISS) and Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme (FVISS), and Multi Agency Risk Assessment and Management (MARAM) is available for all workforces. Access via the Information Sharing and MARAM Online Learning system.

Child Link training is available for staff authorised by their organisation to be a Child Link User. Completion of training modules through the Information Sharing and MARAM Online Learning System is mandatory before the Child Link system can be accessed.

Mandatory courses

MCH nurses are required to complete the following online modules:

• DH Information sharing schemes online training
• Family violence foundational knowledge (DH)
• eLearn: MARAM Victim Survivor Screening and Identification

MCH nurses who have previously completed the CISS, FVISS and MARAM training may use these modules for revision.

Additional modules are also available under the Health workforces category in the portal.

Optional courses

Optional online workshops on MARAM, provided by the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare, are also available for MCH nurses:

• MARAM Identification Level Training – for new starters or those wanting refresher training (4 hours).
• MARAM Intermediate Level Training – for new starters or those wanting refresher training (4 hours).
• Putting MARAM Into Practice Workshops – anyone can attend these workshops, but they are suited for those who have completed MARAM intermediate-level training and who want to expand their learning (4 hours).

Email training@cfecfw.asn.au for more information and to register.

Family Violence Multi Agency Risk Assessment and Management (MARAM) - MCH leadership training

MARAM leading alignment training is for organisational leaders, chief executive officers (CEOs), directors or senior managers across all organisations/agencies prescribed under the MARAM framework.

The training:

• helps managers lead and embed MARAM within their organisation/agency
• promotes an understanding of the MARAM framework including key strategies and requirements such as practice and policies to align with MARAM.

See Safe and Equal for more information.

Aboriginal MCH Family Violence MARAM framework training

The Aboriginal MCH workforce can access specialised training in family violence.

The department has partnered with the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare to offer interactive webinar training in the family violence MARAM framework.

The training will help Aboriginal MCH workers understand their MARAM framework responsibilities, including what it means for their day-to-day practice.

Email mch@health.vic.gov.au for more information.

The MERTIL platform offers training in the identification of, and response to, early relational trauma.

MERTIL translates attachment and caregiving theory and evidence for application in all frontline early childhood workforces.

A 2-hour Mini MERTIL refresher course is available to those who have already completed MERTIL.

Protecting children: mandatory reporting and other obligations

Mandatory reporting refers to the legal requirement of certain professional groups to report a reasonable belief of child physical or sexual abuse to child protection authorities.

For more information, see Mandatory reporting from the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing.

Other professional development

See MERTIL for more MCH nurse professional development.

QUIT smoking offers intervention online training.

Online oral health training for MCH nurses is available from Dental Health Services Victoria.

See Healthy Families Healthy Smiles to complete the Baby teeth count too! training course.

The Family Partnership Model is an evidence-based relational approach that:

• enables professionals to develop an open dialogue with parents
• respond to the emerging needs of children and families
• effectively support parents to achieve shared goals that improve the lives of children.

See Family Partnership Model, Centre for Community Child Health - School Readiness Funding for course information.

The Victorian MCH workforce can access an online self-paced course to implement the INFANT program at their service.

The program promotes healthy eating, increased active play and reduced screen time for babies from birth until 2 years. The course:

• consists of 4 group sessions for parents/caregivers led by a nurse or other practitioner
• runs over 4 weeks
• is funded by the department
• is free of charge.

The content is reinforced via a mobile app, My Baby Now.

See INFANT program for upcoming courses and to register.

Kidsafe Victoria's MCH Child Injury Prevention e-learning tool has been specifically designed to support MCH nurses.

It provides up-to-date information on:

• a range of child injury prevention issues
• relevant Australian Standards
• best practice recommendations
• links to useful resources that can be provided to parents and carers.

The tool takes approximately 2 to 3 hours to complete. You can work at your own pace.

There are 5 modules to complete:

• Home safety
• Road safety
• Water safety
• Safe play
• Product safety

A certificate of completion will be provided that can be counted towards annual CPD points.

See Kidsafe Victoria's MCH for more information or to obtain your council registration link.

The Maternal Child Health Nurse Paediatric Health Education Program is an online course from the Royal Children’s Hospital Education Hub for MCH Nurses (including MCH students).

It provides up-to-date and relevant education on paediatric health issues from experts in the field.

The program has shown to improve MCH knowledge, confidence, clinical practice and patient outcomes, and fostered connections between colleagues and RCH experts.

Program details

• Monthly interactive webinars with expert presenters, ongoing engagement in online community of practice forums, and access to resources.
• $150 + GST to access all course materials from 1 July 2025 to 30 September 2026.
• Self-record number of hours attended as CPD activity.
• Course expires 1 July 2026.

Contact education.hub@rch.org.au or see The Royal Children's Hospital Online Learning Platform.

The Perinatal mental health and psychosocial assessment is a practice resource manual covering the:

• Recognition of perinatal mental health disorders
• Rationale for screening and properties of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS).
• Depression screening protocol
• Psychosocial assessment
• Decision making about the pathways to care in
• Women-centered care and advanced communication skills to undertake these activities

It was developed by expert staff at the Parent-Infant Research Institute (PIRI), Mercy Women's Hospital and Austin Health perinatal, who have an extensive background in perinatal mental health, as well as health professional training.

The Maternity Update program is a 4-hour online program dedicated and tailored to MCH nurses across Victoria. The program is fully funded by the Department of Health and is free for Victorian MCH nurses.

Run by the Maternity Services Education Program (MSEP) at the Royal Women's Hospital (RWH), this program aims to refresh knowledge and review recent evidence-based practices in maternity postnatal care, working our way to bridging the gap between hospitals and community settings.

The program is online and sessions are delivered in an interactive forum with expert guest speakers.

Topics included are:

• maternal postnatal care and complications
• neonatal care and complications as well as
• assessment and management of early breastfeeding.

These are presented by a clinical midwifery consultant at RWH and lactation consultant.

A total of 8 workshops will be offered in 2025/2026 with capacity for 50 participants in each. Suggested attendance is every 2 to 3 years.

Upcoming sessions will be advertised in the MCH newsletter. Email mch@health.vic.gov.au if you have any questions.

The Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework includes a range of discipline-specific guidelines and practice resources. It supports all professionals who work with children aged 0 to 8 years.

The Victorian Maternal and Child Health Conference is fully funded by the Department of Health, with coordination support from the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV).

The conference provides an opportunity for the workforce to come together and learn about a range of best practice models and approaches, clinical practice, legal requirements and government reform areas to underpin a contemporary, welcoming and inclusive MCH service.

The state-wide MCH Conference is open to:

• all MCH nurses
• MCH students
• allied health professionals working in the MCH sector.

Upcoming conferences

The Victorian MCH Conference is held bi-annually. The conferences are delivered online or via hybrid mechanisms.

Check the MAV website for more information and to register.

Upcoming conferences will be advertised in the MCH newsletter. Email mch@health.vic.gov.au if you have any questions.