Children, youth and families
Children and young people make up a third of the Bay of Plenty's population.
A pressing task for the District Health Board is to reduce health inequalities.
A high proportion of our children live in poorer areas. Low family income is associated
with a range of health issues including low birth weight, infant mortality, poorer
mental health, cognitive development (thinking and learning), and more hospital
admissions.
We work to improve children’s health by:
- finding and dealing with conditions early before they can progress and
- working with other agencies to improve community understanding, and opportunities
and choices for healthy living.
Read about recent improvements to oral health and
immunisation services.
See our District Annual Plan to read about our planned
services for children, youth and families.
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Visit sites for programmes we share with other agencies
Baby Friendly Hospitals
B4 School Checks
Feeding our Futures
Fruit in Schools
Strengthening Families
Well Child
Healthy Eating Healthy Action Nutrition Fund
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Recent achievements |
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Breastfeeding plays an important part in the health and wellbeing of babies, mothers and families/whānau.
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More baby-friendly cafes
Cafes and workplaces are joining in to provide places where mothers are welcome to breastfeed their babies.
Peer counselling service
Provides support from other mothers who have already breastfed and taken part in La Leche League training.
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Encouraging Mums to breastfeed their babies.
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Some people can fall ‘between the cracks’ in a complex health system
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Child and Youth Programme of Care
This plan looks at ways to better organise and link health services for children and youth.
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Making sure services for young people are appropriate and well coordinated
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Rates of preterm birth and babies who are smaller than average are high for Maori.
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Kaupapa Maori antenatal classes and parenting programme
is for expectant mothers and fathers as well as extended whanau.
There are three courses:
- Antenatal
- Parenting
- Midwife training
For more information phone: Kim Skinner from Te Hunga Manaaki
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Giving babies a good start with antenatal care
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5-7% of the child population suffers disruptive developmental disorders.
Delays and waiting lists mean that children are not receiving the care they need
due the fast growth in population.
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New Service Co-ordinator
to set up better assessment, referral and pathways to specialised care.
Data collection
to learn more about needs and the best way to provide services.
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Help for children with disruptive developmental disorders.
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In NZ during 2006, children were present at half the family violence incidents attended
by Police.
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Training for staff and health providers
to identify and care for families living with violence.
Three Women In Safe Environments groups
held in Tauranga each week
Women and anger Programme,
teaches women positive ways to
deal with their anger.
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Responding to the needs of children living with or experiencing family violence
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Preschoolers with undiscovered learning, social and health issues may fall behind
by the time they start school. |
More preschool nurses
to identify and treat health and social
issues of pre-school children.
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Giving children a good start by helping them before they reach school age.
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Immunisation
Immunisation is one of the most successful and cost-effective ways to prevent childhood
disease. Our target is to fully immunise 78% of two year olds.
Read about our progress towards the national targets
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Recent achievements
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Rising travel costs are a barrier to providing the level of health care required
for isolated communities |
PHO immunisation outreach
for 2008 will continue to coordinate
Regional Community Services, Midwives, Public Health Unit and Primary Health Organisations
to reach children in rural and isolated areas. |
Immunising children in isolated communities |
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Some children miss out on routine immunisation |
More opportunities for immunisation
Whakatane and Tauranga Hospitals can now offer immunisation when children and their
families visit departments such as Emergency, Maternity and Paediatrics.
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Offering families more opportunities to immunise their child |
Oral health
Our target is to make dental care available for all children up to 18 years old.
To achieve this we need to attract, develop, and retain skilled health care professionals.
When we provide other care for children, we include their oral health as part of
their overall care plan.
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Recent achievements |
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Orthodontic care can cost thousands of dollars putting it out of reach for many
families. |
Orthodontic Services for more children in low income families
This funding ensures care for children with complex conditions from low income families.
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Providing orthodontic care for those who can least afford it.
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The oral health of children and adolescents in the BOP district is among the poorest
in New Zealand. |
Access to dental care
Increased funding means 34 dentists are caring for adolescents and 20 publicly funded
dentists are available for all children.
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Continuing access to dental care for children.
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Kaupapa Maori Oral Health mobile dental unit
operates for children from 0 to 18 years of age in Western Bay of Plenty. |
Reaching more Maori preschoolers and adolescents
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The Regional Adolescent Oral Health Service
has extra funding to promote oral health and follow up of non-attending adolescents.
A New community dental service
in the Eastern Bay provides
for rurally isolated communities and low-income families.
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Encouraging teens to turn up for their dental treatment. |
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Basic dental care for adult mental health consumers and methadone consumers.
Increased fees for the dentists caring for low-income adults.
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Helping vulnerable patients to maintain basic oral health.
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