Children and health services

Many places offer subsidised or free health services for children, including services for mental health and dental health. There may also be health and support services for refugee children and children with disabilities. As a parent or legal guardian, it is your role to interact with healthcare professionals on behalf of your child.

Your role as a parent or guardian#

All decisions you make must be in your child’s best interests. As a parent or legal guardian, you are responsible for talking to healthcare professionals and making medical treatment decisions on your child’s behalf. You generally have the right to access your child’s medical records, and the right to seek a second opinion before making treatment decisions.

If your child needs a medical examination, treatment, surgery or admission to hospital, healthcare professionals must inform, consult and involve you in the decision-making process. This is so you can make an informed decision and provide informed consent for treatment.

Informed consent means that you understand your child’s condition and the proposed treatment, including its risks, benefits and possible complications. Your consent is not required in emergency situations where your child needs immediate treatment to save their life or prevent serious harm and you are unable to provide consent at the time.

Confidentiality and privacy#

Medical confidentiality is a set of rules that protects the information you discuss with healthcare professionals, including information about your child’s health. Privacy is the ability of your healthcare provider to keep information about you, your child and your child’s healthcare from being disclosed.

Paying for health services#

In many countries, a public health system or insurance scheme provides free or subsidised care for visits to doctors, specialists and, in some cases, other healthcare professionals, and covers treatment in public hospitals and a range of medications.

Even where public funding covers most costs, some practitioners charge more than the subsidised amount, leaving out-of-pocket expenses. Ask your healthcare practitioner about any out-of-pocket costs before treatment.

Private health insurance is an option that can give you more control over the treatment your family receives and help cover costs that public funding does not. Various government programs may also provide financial support to help families access health services, including help with dental care, disability support and equipment.

Community health services#

Community health services often offer free or low-cost allied health and support services to children and their families, such as speech pathology, dietetics, physiotherapy, psychology, podiatry, occupational therapy and family counselling. Contact your local community health service for more information, or ask your doctor how it could help you maintain or improve your child’s health and wellbeing.

Maternal and child health services#

A maternal and child health service is often available free to families with young children. Centres are typically staffed by qualified nurses, with support from other healthcare professionals, and provide information, support and advice about your child’s health, maternal and family health, and parenting. Some areas also run a free telephone helpline staffed by these nurses.

Dental health services#

Free or subsidised general dental care is available for children in many areas, often through public dental clinics and community health services. Some financial assistance programs provide a set amount of dental benefit per child over a period for eligible families. Some private health insurance policies also cover dental care through their “extras” cover — check your policy or with your insurer if you have one.

Mental health services for children#

If your child is dealing with a mental health issue, it is important to know who you can talk to and where to get help. If worrying behaviour concerns you, a good place to start is your doctor, maternal health nurse or school counsellor. You can ask for a referral to mental health support services such as child psychologists or child psychiatrists if needed.

Support for children with disabilities#

Children with disabilities and their families and carers can access a range of disability support services, many of them government-funded. These can include help with planning, equipment, and short-term support for the person with a disability and their family and carers in their local area. Some systems provide individualised support packages tailored to each person’s needs rather than block funding to organisations. Ask your doctor or local health service about the supports available in your area.

Services for asylum seekers and refugees#

Asylum seekers and refugees, including children, can often access most health and community services, because eligibility for many services is not determined by visa or residency status. These may include community health services, refugee health programs, torture and trauma counselling, and catch-up immunisation.

Helplines and online resources#

A number of parenting helplines and websites offer health advice and information about children’s health. Depending on where you live, these may include a 24-hour telephone service for families with young children, expert health advice from a registered nurse, telephone counselling for parents and carers, and online parenting resources covering children of all ages.

Key points#

• As a parent or guardian, you make medical decisions in your child’s best interests and can usually access their records and seek a second opinion.
• Public funding, private insurance and government programs can all help cover the cost of children’s health services.
• Community health, maternal and child health, dental, mental health and disability services may all be available, often free or low-cost.
• Asylum seekers and refugees can often access most health and community services.

Where to get help#