A national framework for family and child health services

Child and family health nurses are being encouraged to participate in a study aimed to investigate the feasibility of implementing a national approach to child and family health services in Australia.

The Child Health Researching Universal Services (CHoRUS) study is funded by the Australian Research Council and in particular is seeking those directly involved in service provision (child and family health nurses, general practitioners, practice nurses and midwives), other stakeholders and consumers.

In Australia, universal child and family health services focus on increasing protective factors and reducing risks that impact on children's health and wellbeing and provide early identification and referral for children and families who may require targeted, secondary or tertiary specialist services.

Despite the existence of a seemingly well-established...