One of Stawell Rotary Club’s annual projects is Books for Babes. The club buys age appropriate story books for newborns, includes a note from the Rotary Club, and gift wraps the book.

As babies are no longer delivered in Stawell, the books are given to the Maternal and Child Health Services to gift to new babies when they return to Stawell from their birth place.

Rotary President Pauline Shirrefs introduced the guest speaker, Sue Boag to the meeting. Sue shared with Rotarians her extensive knowledge developed over many years as one of Stawell’s Maternal and Child Health Nurses.

There are three nursing staff operating from Stawell, all with extensive qualifications and experience.  Victoria is a model for best practice care and follow up for each new birth and early childhood.

Sue worked in paediatric intensive care in Melbourne, following ten years of general nursing, five years midwifery, and formal study to complete required child health qualifications. The team includes immunisation nurses, and have breast care and lactation consultants available.

The unit is managed by Department of Education and Training, and is based on giving children the best opportunity within a family and community framework.  Northern Grampians Shire Council funds 60% and education department 40% of operating costs.

St Arnaud is serviced by a dedicated nurse while Stawell and surrounds is serviced by three nurses who visit families in their homes. The nurses use Books for Babes to reinforce literacy across the family, showing parents how to read to their baby and also enhancing reading skills of all family members.

Visits by the nurses are free of charge and voluntary.  The first visit includes safe sleeping environment, safety capsule and car seat information, and ensuring a smoke free environment for babies.  Each family also receives a diary, -  the  green book, which provides information and a way of maintaining immunisation information, growth stages and contacts.

Sue said that the nurses walk beside the families and this approach has families responding well. Resilience is the buzz word for child welfare, building resilience at an early age sets the child up for later years. Child care workers recommend swim classes as part of self-development and confidence building.

Rotary’s  Books for Babes program reminds parents to talk about the pictures to babies and young children and the first time mums group meets at the library where they join in with story time.

Sue advised that the local area has a good immunisation rate of 85 - 90% .

Rotarian John Artz thanked Sue for her excellent talk and presented the next instalment of Books for Babes story books. 

John also presented Sue with a Rotary pen as a thank you gift from the Stawell Rotary Club for her talk.