The new Medicare Healthy Kids Check commenced 1^st November 2026, as part of the Australian Government’s Thriving Kids initiative. The assessment will support GPs to assess 3-year-olds’ physical, social and emotional development, health and wellbeing.

Key information for practices:

• Eligibility: Children aged 3 years, with one Healthy Kids Check per child per lifetime.
• MBS items: GPs and prescribed medical practitioners can use existing time-tiered health assessment items (701, 703, 705, 707, and 224-227).
• Assessment: The check includes a review of the child’s medical history, behaviour and wellbeing, developmental milestones, family and social circumstances, nutrition, physical activity, screen use, sleep and toileting.
• Follow-up: Practitioners should provide advice to parents / carers, arrange appropriate interventions or referrals where needed, document the assessment in the child’s medical record and offer a written report with recommendations.

For further information, please refer to the Medicare Healthy Kids Check Factsheet – MBS Online.

Healthy Kids Check Assessment Template

To support implementation, the Healthy Kids Check Assessment Templates are available on both Best Practice and Medical Director in line with the data update (November 2026).

Practices are encouraged to review their recall processes and clinical workflows to identify eligible children and prepare for the new assessment requirements.

Other Resources

• Implementation of Australian Government Thriving Kids supports | Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
• Medicare Healthy Kids Check – Note AN.14.4 | Medicare Benefits Schedule
• Healthy Start for School health check – Family Tax Benefit – Services Australia
• How to perform a Healthy Kids Check | RACGP
• HealthPathways Gold Coast

Community Child Health

Community Child Health provides a range of community health and support services for children and their parents or carers to give every child the best possible start in life. By providing early intervention and prevention services at the right time, the service aims to ensure children and young people are nurtured, safe and able to realise their full potential.

Child Development Service (birth to 6 years old)

Phone: 07 5687 9183

Hours: Monday-Friday, 8am- 4:30pm

Email: cdsgoldcoast@health.qld.gov.au

Location: Southport Health Precinct

Child Protection Unit

Child Protection Unit PDF Information Sheet

Phone: 07 5687 1373

Hours: Monday-Friday, 8am- 4:30pm

Email: CPU-GoldCoast@health.qld.gov.au

Location: Gold Coast University Hospital

School Based Youth Health Nurses (high school only)

See more information online

Phone: (07) 5687 9183

Hours: Monday-Friday, 8am- 4:30pm

Email: SBYHNGoldCoast@health.qld.gov.au.

Location: Southport Health Precinct

GP Liaison Psychiatry Service

Phone: 0407 453 349

GCPHN GP and Psychiatrist Mental Health Stepped Care Information and Advice Service

Phone: 07 3186 4000
Hours: 9am -5pm

Reporting suspected child abuse

Phone: SEQ Regional Intake Service 1300 679 849
After hours and on weekends phone: 1800 177 135 or 07 3235 9999

Alcohol and Drug Clinical Advisory Service (ADCAS)

Phone: 1800 290 928
Hours: 8am-11pm, 7 days a week

Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service

In response to COVID-19, Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service has launched a webpage dedicated to communicating with GPs.

Queensland Centre for Perinatal and Infant Mental Health e-PIMH telepsychiatry service

Phone: 07 3266 3100
Hours: 8.30am – 5pm, Mon-Fri

• Kalwun – Health and medical services, family wellbeing service, playgroups, early learning program, child protection and Foster and kinship services

• National Guide to a preventive health assessment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
• First 1000 Days Australia

• Refer Your Patient
• Infant Mental Health Services – Gold Coast
• Gold Coast Health Lavender Mother and Baby Unit 
• Gold Coast Health Community Child Health
• Gold Coast Health Oral Health services
• GCPHN-funded mental health stepped care services
• Family and Child Connect | online referral form
• NDIS Early Childhood Early Intervention provider Uniting Care (under age 7) 
• NDIS Local Area Coordination Service Carers Qld (over age 7)
• NDIS Information for GPs and health professionals
• Aligned Optometrists
• Child and Youth Mental Health Services Gold Coast Health
• QLD Centre of Perinatal and Infant Mental Health
• Headspace
• Act for Kids
• Benevolent Society 
• Wesley Mission
• Accoras
• Bravehearts  – Sexual abuse counselling and support
• Paradise Kids  – Children support services after trauma, death and divorce
• Gold Coast Youth Service  – Housing and other youth supports
• Lives Lived Well  – Alcohol and other drugs support services
• ReachOut Parent Coaching – Free phone support for parents and carers of 12-18 years
• Positive Parenting Programs
• Griffith, Bond and University of QLD health and psychology clinics

The resources located in this section aim to support a clinician in accessing information and resources for children and young people’s health.

Developmental milestones

• Red Flags Early Identification Guide (for children aged birth to five years)
• Red Flags Early Identification Guide (School aged)

Young people

• headspace for health professionals
• Working with LGBTQIA+ young people

Nutrition and healthy lifestyle

• Australia’s physical activity and sedentary behaviour guidelines
• Nutrition Education Materials Online (NEMO) 
• Staying healthy 
• Diet and nutrition

Trauma, Grief and Loss

• Blue Knot Foundation – National Centre of Excellence for Complex Trauma 
• Report: Trauma and young people: Moving toward trauma-informed services and systems
• Fact sheet for GPs and health professionals working with complex trauma
• Understanding and supporting children who have experienced family and domestic violence
• Information for professionals on supporting children and families after a child has been abused

General health and wellbeing

• Building resilience in children aged 0-12: A practice guide
• Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service – GP Hub
• Clinical Practice Points on the Diagnosis, Assessment and Management of ADHD in Children and Adolescents
• Immunisation Schedule
• NDIS Information for GPs and health professionals
• Act for Kids – Community Directory (PDF)

Screening Tools

• PEDS and Ages and Stages screening can be performed by Gold Coast Health Community Child Health
• Quick Speech and Language screener (PDF)
• Promoting Literacy Development screening tools
• Novopsych
• Vanderbilt Assessment
• Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire
• HoNOSCA

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

• FASD overview presentation by Gold Coast Health
• Australian Guide to the diagnosis of FASD
• www.fasdhub.org.au
• This is Me – FASD Learning Tool
• Me and my FASD
• GoFAR program

• Webinar: Gold Coast childhood development delays and health assessments for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and children in care | Thursday 22 October 2020
  • Webinar recording 
  • Presentation slides 
• RACGP education
• Project ECHO (Children’s Health Qld) – Interactive on-line multidisciplinary education & case presentations to improve knowledge and capability of GPs and health professionals on child health. Offered for free throughout the year.
• Mental Health Professionals Network – Provides practitioners the opportunity to participate in two interdisciplinary programs: MHPN practitioner networks and the National online professional development program.
• Evolve Therapeutic Services (Qld Health) – online course on attachment – 30-90minutes to complete
• Australian Mental Health Outcomes and Classification Network – outcome measure training
• Child Family Community Australia – Australian Institute of Family Studies information hub for evidence, resources and support for professionals working in the child, family and community welfare sector.
• Emerging Minds – National workforce centre for child mental health
• NDIS education for GPs
• Working clinically with adult survivors of complex trauma