Become a MCFHN

• Are registered nurses with postgraduate qualifications in the speciality of child and family health nursing.
• Provide child focused family centred nursing care.
• Use collaborative partnerships with parents and other health care providers to achieve positive outcomes for families.
• Are uniquely placed in the community to support families by promoting positive parenting practices and provides up-to-date evidenced-based information.
• Perform child health screening and surveillance to assess child’s physical and emotional development, health and well being.
• Are ideally situated to identify parental emotional or physical issues and can provide advice, guidance, support and referrals to other health care providers.

• Is centred on a wellness model of care which is underpinned by the principles of primary health care, early intervention and illness prevention.
• Promotes the development of a positive parent -child relationship by helping to increase the parent’s knowledge, sensitivity and reflective functioning.
• Works from a population health framework and monitors the normal growth and development of infants and children in the 0 – 5 year age group.
• Promotes parental social and emotional well-being.
• Supports families to link purposefully with their local community to sustain family connectedness and self-efficacy.

These include:

• Community-based health centres that provide universal and targeted home visiting.
• Parenting groups.
• Day stay and residential programs.
• Perinatal mental health services.
• Maternal drug and alcohol services.