The Well Child/Tamariki Ora service is a screening, surveillance, education and support service offered to all New Zealand children and their family or whanau from birth to five years. It assists families and whanau to improve and protect their children’s health.

The key features of the Well Child framework are:

1.     A universal service that is publicly-funded and nationwide with more skilled and intensive help available to children and families who are at risk or have additional needs.

2.     Three service streams:  

·         health education and promotion provides the parent with knowledge and skills to respond to their child’s needs at the different stages of their development.

·         health protection and clinical assessment provide reassurance that the child is developing normally, and support or provide necessary immunisations.

·         family/whānau support provides support to parents and links to the community and other services

3.     Core visits: there are 11 core Well Child contacts from birth to 5 years of age

4.     Initial needs assessment / health care plan. At the initial meetings between the family and the Well Child provider, a risk assessment is undertaken to identify needs and the level of service delivery required. At subsequent meetings this assessment is reviewed and adjusted as appropriate.

Changes to the WellChild/Tamariki Ora Framework:  Ministry of Health, 2010

Well Child service specification, Ministry of Health, 2010

National schedule handbook, Ministry of Health