Parent resources
During my recent maternity leave I was thinking how handy it would be to have all of the great, tried and tested parent resources listed in one place for everyone to share and utilise. Here are some that we recommend, with an explanation of what they are helpful for too…
General parenting:
Parenting SA
Parenting SA - HomeParenting SAhttps://parenting.sa.gov.au
Parent Easy Guides provide information about a whole range of topics for raising children from birth to 18 years. You can search by topic or child’s age.
Raising children network
Raising Children NetworkRaising Children Networkhttps://raisingchildren.net.au
I love this one personally for the late night google topics when pondering a range of questions not relevant at 2am… good, evidence based parenting information.
The CaFHS Parent Helpline
https://www.cafhs.sa.gov.au/services/parent-helpline
The CaFHS Parent Helpline provides telephone information and support for parents and carers of children from birth to five years- 1300 364 100 Parents in South Australia can call for information and support at any time, seven days a week.
I found this useful for questions regarding parenting strategies and my own mental health.
Children’s health and safety:
CaFHS Health Checks
https://www.cafhs.sa.gov.au/services/health-checks
call 1300 733 606 (between 9am and 4pm) to book an appointment.
CaFHS are amazing for thorough children’s health checks between birth and 5 years. You can book your child in any time if you have concerns or questions, they also offer key health and development checks at certain ages. We always recommend the 4 year old health check be done through CaFHS as they use a specialised machine for the hearing checks (some GP’s may not have access to these).
Child and Adolescent Virtual Urgent Care Service
https://www.wch.sa.gov.au/patients-visitors/emergencies/virtual-urgent-care
This free service connects parents with a virtual team of highly skilled emergency doctors and nurses who can assess and provide medical advice for children, aged between 6 months and up to 18 years who live in South Australia, 7 days a week from 9:00am to 9.00pm.
*In the event of an emergency, always call triple 0 or go to your nearest emergency department.
The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne fact sheets
https://www.rch.org.au/kidsinfo/fact_sheets/
Evidence based fact sheets for kids health information. We sometimes send these out when there is an outbreak to provide the latest research and advice for families.
Staying Healthy
https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/reports/clinical%20guidelines/ch55-staying-healthy.pdf
This government document advises us the best practice to prevent illness in early childhood education and care settings, and exclusion periods for when there is an infectious disease present. There are also great fact sheets with advice on treatment and care for children when they are unwell.
Kidsafe SA
Kidsafe SA is a not-for-profit, non-government organisation dedicated to the prevention of unintentional death and injuries to children. They are great for safety advice around the home, roads and playgrounds. They run free events including keeping children safe info. sessions and community fitting days for free car seat fitting and checking. Additionally, you can book this service at the Kidsafe Centre Hilton on (08) 7089 8554. Here is a link for the home safety checklist, we found this most helpful for identifying and removing potential hazards in our home.
https://kidsafesa.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/home-safety-checklist-updated-2021-final.pdf
Immunisations
https://www.eha.sa.gov.au/immunisation
The Eastern Health Authority is funded to offer free immunisation services and the National Immunisation Program to residents within our local council area. Click the link to see more information on your eligibility and to book. For more information, call 8132 3600 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Toileting
https://www.toilettime.com.au/services/
Last year we welcomed Debbie Atkin, paediatric O.T. for a parent information session around toileting. Her Toilet Time website includes links to some great toileting tips and resources.
Infant care:
Woodlands Collective infant and child sleep support
https://www.woodlandscollective.ca/
Georgina (Sleep Consultant, based in Canada) is known to our centre and she generously visited us last year for a parent information session during a trip back to Australia. Whilst she obviously cannot visit you in person, checkout her website (or Instagram page) for education and online support. I like how she customises advice to child and family needs, rather than a ‘one size fits all’ approach.
The Australian Breastfeeding Association
https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/ Breastfeeding helpline: 1800686268
Breastfeeding was MUCH harder than I anticipated (in the beginning). For some it is a smooth and natural journey, for others please know there is help out there. Reach out to the ABA, or search by entering your postcode https://www.lcanz.org/find-a-lactation-consultant/ for an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). There are important differences between breastfeeding counsellors and lactation consultants: Lactation consultants work in hospitals and child health services, or in private practice, offer breastfeeding advice for a fee and hold an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) qualification.
SIDS and Kids South Australia
Provides safe sleep education and support services, resources and info. sessions to help families make informed decisions about how they choose to sleep their infant, what types of products they may want to use and how to create a safe sleeping environment. The sessions are a great opportunity to ask questions and ensure that new and expectant parents and grandparents have the latest information on current recommendations for safe infant sleeping. (08) 8332 1066 Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm.
Solid Starts
A team of pediatric feeding experts and doctors to help you with starting solids, preventing and reversing picky eating. I follow their Instagram page for lots of great information and there is a useful App too. This is American based and you might find an Australian version preferable, however a few of us here have tried and tested this one so thought we would share.
We hope these resources provide you with sound, research based information- rather than getting lost down the scroll hole of uncertainty and questionable sources. Please share with others if you wish.
Hayley Sidelik
Educational Leader MICCC
Kaurna Yerta