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Bay of Plenty DHB Child Development Service

Public Service, Community, Paediatrics

Description

The Child Development team is part of the Bay of Plenty District Health Board with therapists who work with children aged 0 - 16 years who are experiencing a disability, enabling them to grow and develop the best they can. 

We work in partnership with whānau/families and other specialists to provide therapeutic interventions and empower whānau/families to support their child to achieve their full potential and best quality of life.

Please click here to download the CDS Overview and Inclusion Criteria pdf.

What is Child Development?

The Child Development Service looks at the skills and milestones that children usually develop at different ages e.g. playing, speaking, walking, learning. Children often develop in their own time but if a child is taking longer to learn a skill, they may need some support from our service.

Our team includes Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Visiting Neurodevelopmental Therapists (Tauranga), Speech and Language Therapists, Clinical Psychologists, Dietitian, Social Workers, Allied Health Assistants (Whakatāne) and Te Pou Kokiri who can help you and your child in their development.

What to expect:

Your child might need the Child Development Service if they require support with their delayed development and to reach a milestone e.g. crawling, walking, talking.

You and your child might see one or more of our team at your home, kindy, preschool or school. Additionally, you might attend one of our group sessions or you might come along to an appointment at our clinic.

Your rights:

To know more about your rights and support available to you with the Bay of Plenty District Health Board please visit the BOPDHB website Support Page .

Ages

Child / Tamariki, Youth / Rangatahi

Referral Expectations

You may be referred into the Child Development Service by your family doctor, Plunket nurse, school, paediatrician, or another healthcare professional. 

You are also able to refer your own child to our service if they are needing our specialist care.

See below for more detail on our referral criteria.

Charges

Government funding of health and disability services means that eligible people may receive free inpatient and outpatient public hospital services, subsidies on prescription items and a range of support services for people with disabilities in the community.

Check to see if you are eligible for publicly funded health and disability services here.

Services

  • Information for Referrers

    All children must be under the age of 16 to be referred to our service.  In addition, referrals to our service must meet certain criteria which are outlined in our referral form (see the link below).… More

  • ASD Coordination

    The ASD Coordination is a Referral Service for children under the age of 7 years, and their families/whanau, who seek an appointment for assessment and diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder.… More

  • Home visits

    Many of our one-on-one therapy appointments take place in your home.… More

  • Attending an appointment

    Our service runs regular clinics, which your family may be asked to attend, for example an assessment for diagnosis with one of our Psychologists.… More

  • Attending a group session

    We run a variety of group sessions where both the parent/guardian and child are invited to attend.… More

  • Resources for parents

    MICAMHS Parent Education Sessions
    Information to support parents of primary and intermediate aged children.… More PDF

Wheelchair Access

Yes

Document Downloads

Contact Details

112 Thirteenth Ave, Tauranga South, Tauranga

Bay of Plenty

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Whakatāne Hospital

Bay of Plenty

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This page was last updated at 2:43PM on April 21, 2022. This information is reviewed and edited by Bay of Plenty DHB Child Development Service.