Centres
and Schools
We partner with early childhood services and schools to deliver onsite child health and developmental screening — supporting families to access recommended checks while reducing barriers to participation.
Clinic days are designed to integrate smoothly with your service’s routines, with a child-safe approach, clear communication, and coordinated follow-up pathways.
Centre Based Child Health & Development Checks
Delivered by Little Grove in partnership with Community Children’s Centres SA
Little Grove delivers Flying Start funded child health and development checks in partnership with Community Children’s Centres SA, supporting the South Australian Government’s commitment to increasing access to early childhood health and development support.
Through the Flying Start reforms, more families — particularly in regional communities — can now access free milestone checks within their child’s early learning setting.
Our experienced child health nurses provide structured, child-safe clinic days in partnership with educators — making access simple, familiar and supportive for families.
Why these checks matter
The first five years of life are critical for brain development, health and learning. During this time, children develop language, social skills, emotional regulation and early thinking skills at their fastest rate.
Child health and development checks help to:
- Monitor growth and physical health
- Celebrate developmental milestones
- Identify concerns early
- Provide clear, practical guidance for families
- Connect children with the right supports when needed
Early identification means earlier support — helping every child have the best possible start in life.
Milestone checks from birth to five years
In South Australia, seven milestone checks are recommended across the early years:
- 1–4 weeks
- 6–8 weeks
- 6–9 months
- 12 months
- 18–24 months
- 3 years
- 4–5 years
Little Grove delivers eligible Flying Start milestone checks within participating early learning services, increasing access for families who may otherwise experience barriers to care.
What to expect on a Little Grove clinic day
Our clinic days are calm, structured and developmentally focused.
Checks are completed by qualified child health nurses and may include:
- Growth assessment (height, weight and head circumference where appropriate)
- Developmental screening
- Hearing and vision observation
- General health review
- Conversation about sleep, feeding, behaviour and learning
- Clear next steps if follow-up is recommended
Families are encouraged to attend wherever possible. We work closely with educators to ensure children feel safe and supported throughout the process.
Working within the broader child health system
Flying Start funded checks complement existing child health services across South Australia.
Where follow-up is required, we guide families toward appropriate next steps — which may include GP review, allied health services or specialist assessment.
Our role is to provide early, practical support and clear pathways forward.
Little Grove — A safe place for growth. Warm, capable care guided by evidence and focused on what helps next.
Program Options For Centres And Schools
We offer two ways for services to access onsite child health and developmental screening. We’ll help you choose the most suitable option based on your location, cohort size and service needs.
SA Gov- Funded clinics days
SA Gov- Funded clinic days
In some regional areas of South Australia, child health and developmental checks are funded through the SA Government’s Flying Start reforms.
Centres located within these regions can access government-funded clinic days, allowing Little Grove to deliver onsite child health and developmental checks for children attending the service.
Centre-funded clinic days
Centre-funded clinic days
Centres outside Flying Start funded regions, or those wanting to offer additional clinic days, can partner directly with Little Grove to provide onsite child health and developmental checks.
In this model, the service is arranged directly with the centre as part of their health and wellbeing support for children and families.
How centre-based days work
We coordinate with your service to confirm dates, suitable spaces and the flow of the day. Your service will be supported by a consistent nurse and admin team, assigned to your location to ensure continuity and reliable communication.
Checks are completed onsite in familiar environments (e.g., the child’s room or outdoor play space) and are conducted with a child’s educator present and in view at all times. Children are not taken to a separate area out of line of sight.
Our clinicians work alongside educators to gather helpful context about the child’s strengths, routines and participation in the learning environment. Following the check, we provide families with a clear summary of outcomes and, where needed, practical next steps.
Where concerns are identified, our Nurse Practitioner team follows up with the family and coordinates ongoing care — including further assessment, intervention planning and referrals (where appropriate) — in partnership with the child’s GP and other services, with consent.
Please call 1300 704 741 to speak to one of our friendly staff or complete an enquiry form by clicking the link below, and we will guide you through the next steps and help you feel confident about what happens next.
Enquiries, clinic planning and consent processes
Please call 1300 704 741 to speak to one of our friendly staff or email us by clicking on the link below. We will guide you to the most appropriate appointment or pathway that’s right for you so you feel confident about what happens.
Education Sessions
We offer structured sessions on:
- Developmental red flags
- Emotional regulation
- Communication development
- Managing asthma, allergies and eczema
- Partnering effectively with families
FAQs
It’s normal to have questions about your child’s health and development — especially when something feels uncertain.
Below you’ll find answers to common questions about how our checks work, whether you can attend, what happens if your child seems fine, consent, follow-up care, and how we work alongside your GP or other specialists.
Where are checks completed on the day?
Checks are completed onsite in familiar spaces (e.g., the child’s room or outdoor play space), with an educator present and in view at all times. Children are not taken to a separate area out of line of sight.
What does a check include?
A child health and development check may include review of growth, physical health, development, hearing, vision, behaviour, emotional wellbeing and any concerns raised by families or educators.
The clinician uses age-appropriate screening tools, clinical observation and information from the family and centre to identify strengths, areas to monitor and any next steps that may be helpful.
How do you incorporate educator input?
Educators contribute valuable information about how a child manages in their usual environment away from home, including communication, play, movement, relationships, routines and participation.
With parent consent, we consider educator observations alongside family information, screening results and clinical assessment. Educator input helps us understand the child in context and identify practical supports that may be useful within the centre.
How are families informed of outcomes?
Families receive clear feedback after the check, including the child’s strengths, any areas to monitor and the recommended next steps.
We provide a written summary letter and contact the family directly to discuss the outcome if needed. Where follow-up is needed, we explain what happens next and how Little Grove can support referrals, further assessment or ongoing care.
What happens if concerns are identified?
If a concern is identified, we explain the finding clearly and discuss the most appropriate next step with the family.
This may include practical strategies, monitoring and review, further screening, a Nurse Practitioner assessment, referral to an Allied health professional, GP or Paediatrician, or additional investigations where appropriate. We aim to avoid unnecessary duplication and make sure families understand what happens next.
How is information documented?
Information from the check is documented in the child’s confidential clinical record, including relevant history, screening results, observations, assessment findings, discussions with the family and any agreed next steps.
Families receive a clear written summary. Information is only shared with the centre or other professionals where consent has been provided or where sharing is required for safety or legal reasons.
Will we see the same clinicians each time?
We aim to provide continuity wherever possible, so centres and families can build familiarity and trust with the Little Grove team.
The same clinician may not attend every visit because staffing can vary across locations and clinic days. However, all clinicians work within the same clinical governance framework, use consistent assessment processes and document care clearly so information and agreed next steps are not lost between visits.
Who do we contact for clinic enquiries?
For clinic-day planning, consent processes or questions about centre-based services, call us on 1300 704 741 or email healthchecks@littlegrove.com.au.
Our team can explain the available funding pathways, help plan clinic days and guide you through the next steps.
Still have a question?
If you don’t see your question here, please reach out. We’re always happy to talk things through.
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