Support services and resources

Every week in Australia around 20 children present to an emergency department with a
button battery related injury — that’s over 1000 children every year. Children under the
age of five are at greatest risk.

Read the Button batteries fact sheet to find out more on:

• products that contain button batteries
• symptoms of button battery ingestion
• how you can reduce the risk.

If you suspect a child has ingested a button
battery, don’t wait for them to show symptoms. Immediately call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 for fast, expert advice. In an emergency situation eg. if your child is having difficulty breathing, call 000 for an ambulance.

Download the Button batteries fact sheet [PDF 416Kb]

Leaving a child in a car, even for a short period of time can be fatal. Every year in
Australia over 5,000 children are rescued after being left in a car.

Read the Children left unattended in cars fact sheet to find out more on:

• risks
• safety tips
• summer traveling tips
• what to do if you see a child left unattended.

In Victoria it is an offence to for a person responsible for a child to leave the child
unattended for any longer than is reasonable, without making appropriate
arrangements for the child’s supervision or care. This includes leaving children
unattended in cars.

Download the Children left unattended in cars fact sheet [PDF 507Kb]

Despite significant reductions in toddler drowning deaths over time, drowning continues to be one of the leading causes of accidental death for Australian children under 5 years of age. Backyard swimming pools are one of the most common location where these incidents occur.

Read the Swimming pool safety fact sheet to find out more on:

• the law
• keeping children safe around water
• how you can reduce the risk.

While pool and spa barriers can be effective in reducing the risk of drowning incidents,
evidence suggests that a large number of drowning deaths involve barriers that are
faulty, or non-compliant with Australian standards.

Download the Swimming pool safety fact sheet [PDF 297Kb]

A list of local services to help children, young people, families, schools, and agencies.

Visit the child and youth directory

Can help you deal with issues around poverty, sickness, suffering, distress, misfortune and destitution.

Visit the Community Information Glen Eira website

A not-for-profit community health provider offering services such as dental, counselling, physiotherapy, dietetics, podiatry, and speech pathology to children and adults.

Visit the Connect Health and Community website

Offers community and home-based health services and health promotion activities.

Visit the Caulfield Community Health Service website

MOIRA provides a support services to people with disabilities and youth in crisis throughout southern metropolitan Melbourne and wider Victoria.

Visit the MOIRA website

Noah’s Ark is a not-for-profit Victorian community organisation providing services and support to families of children with disabilities and developmental delays. They also support early childhood education and care services.

Visit the Noah's Ark website

• Poisons Information Centre: 13 11 26
• Child First Family Solutions: 1300 721 383
• Child Protection Crisis Line: 13 12 78
• Parent Line: 13 22 89
• Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800
• Beyond Baby Blues: 1300 224 636
• Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre: 1800 015 188
• Jewish Taskforce Against Family Violence: 9523 2100
• Women after Gestational Diabetes: 8532 1837

• Better Health Channel
• Raising Children - the Australian parenting website
• Royal Children's Hospital - kids health info fact sheets
• Dental Health Services Victoria
• Australian Breastfeeding Associatio (ABA)
• Post and Antenatal Depression Association (PANDA)
• beyondblue
• Kidsafe
• health.vic - immunisation
• Lactation Consultants of Australia and New Zealand
• VicRoads
• Playgroup Victoria