Watch Me Grow platform a game changer for Fairfield and Murrumbidgee families

300 families from multicultural backgrounds in Fairfield and also families living in rural locations in the Murrumbidgee area will be part of a two year trial of the Watch Me Grow platform.

The online Watch Mr Grow program is a world-first in tracking child development and ensures any concerns can immediately be addressed and families can connect to early intervention programs, especially through the pandemic.

“The aim is to identify a child’s needs early, before they start preschool or school, so that they can receive the interventions early before the problems get worse,” Professor Valsamma Eapen, who heads the South Western Sydney Local Health District’s BestSTART-SW Academic Unit explained.

“Parents can use the online platform in GP waiting rooms, play groups, childcare settings and at home to complete a questionnaire that will help monitor their child’s development.”

The project featured in the virtual COVID-19 special edition of the Health Beyond Research and Innovation Showcase. South Western Sydney Local Health District partnered with the Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research to host the monthly showcases which have covered a range of topics including oesophageal cancer, nursing and midwifery and obesity, local news source Liverpool City Champion reported.

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