Wellchild Week Focuses On New Experience 3-9 March

Wellchild Week Focuses On New Experiences 3-9 March

The first smile, the first word, the first tooth, the first roll, the first crawl, the first tentative steps, the first hair cut – a child’s life is full of “firsts” and year’s WellChild Week encourages parents and caregivers to celebrate new experiences in a child’s life.

WellChild Week runs from 3-9 March and Hawke’s Bay’s WellChild providers encourage those with babies and pre-schoolers to make the most of your WellChild/Tamariki Ora Book and record all those new experiences. The providers are also keen to re-engage with families they may have lost contact with.

“Our memory fades with time, so it’s great to be able to look back through a WellChild Book and read about your own growth and development,” said Michele Grant, one of the coordinators of Hawke’s Bay’s WellChild interagency network group.

Local WellChild Providers are holding open days which will include the following: WellChild Checks Dental enrolments and advice PAFT (Parents As First Teachers) Free educational support to parents for the first three years of a child’s life Middle ear screening and advice on vision screening New born hearing screening information Healthy eating and nutrition Sport Hawke’s Bay-SPARC Programme Immunisation info and immunisations SKIP information (Strategies with Kids/Information for Parents) Support and information on breastfeeding and SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) In addition, participating providers will have give-aways, spot prizes and fun activities for kids. “If you haven’t attended one of these events before, why not give it a go? You’ll be able to add it to your list of new experiences with your child,” Michele Grant said.

Particpating WellChild Providers include:

Plunket – Monday 3 March 10am- 2pm at Plunket Flaxmere Family Centre, 1 Peterhead Avenue. Plunket – Thursday 6 March 10am – 2pm at Plunket Karitane Family Centre, 7 Lowry Terrace, Marewa. Te Kupenga Hauora - Monday 3 – Friday 7 March WellChild checks at 5 Sale St, Napier. Te Taiwhenua O Heretaunga (working with Choices) Choices - Tuesday 4 March – 10am – 2pm, 208 Southampton Street West, Hastings Choices – Thursday 6 March - 10am – 2pm, 13 Swansea Village, Flaxmere Hawke’s Bay District Health Board (will be supporting all the providers’ activities during the week)

ENDS

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