24/7 Support for Victorian Families
24 Oct 2025
The MCH Line connects families with qualified Maternal and Child Health nurses who provide trusted, confidential advice on a wide range of topics, including child growth and development, feeding, sleep, behaviour, and parental wellbeing.
Each year, the service responds to more than 100,000 calls from Victorian families seeking guidance and support for children from birth to school age.
The MCH Line has a proud legacy of helping Victorian families since it began as a volunteer-run service in 1974. It became a Victorian Government–funded service in 1991 and expanded to operate 24/7 in 2000.
Today, it sits alongside other government-funded maternal and child health programs designed to give Victorian families the best start in life — including the Universal and Enhanced Maternal and Child Health programs and Victoria’s 10 Early Parenting Centres, which provide free specialised support for families needing extra help.
To celebrate Children’s Week 2025, the Department of Health has released a video highlighting the dedicated nurses behind the MCH Line and their ongoing contribution to the wellbeing of Victorian families.
Source: Victorian Department of Health
