As a GP, one of the most valuable parts of caring for children is helping them find ways to thrive and putting a parent’s mind at ease. Three is an important age in a child’s development. Children are becoming more independent, developing their communication and social skills, and learning how to manage their emotions and interact with the world around them.
From 1 November 2026, subject to the passage of legislation, a new Medicare Healthy Kids Check will be available for eligible 3-year-old children.
As a GP, I see this as a valuable opportunity to take a step back from treating individual illnesses and look at a child’s overall health, development and wellbeing.
What is the Healthy Kids Check?
The Healthy Kids Check is a comprehensive health and developmental assessment for children at 3 years of age.
The check is available once per child, is bulk billed, and is designed to support early identification and early intervention for health, developmental, behavioural and social concerns.
What will happen during the check?
The appointment is more than simply measuring your child’s height and weight.
Your GP will talk with you about your child’s pregnancy and birth history, previous illnesses and hospital visits, medications, allergies and immunisations, as well as any relevant family history.
We will also talk about your child’s development and wellbeing — including their speech and communication, social interaction, play, behaviour, emotional regulation and independence.
Parents are often the best source of information about how their child is developing, so your observations and concerns are an important part of the assessment.
We will also discuss your child’s everyday environment, including nutrition, physical activity, screen use, sleep, toileting, childcare or preschool, family relationships and social circumstances.
What will we check?
The physical assessment will include measuring your child’s height and weight and assessing their growth.
We will also look at areas such as:
- Vision and eye health
- Hearing and ears
- Teeth and gums
- General physical health and development
- Gait and movement where appropriate
Your GP will also observe your child’s communication, behaviour, interaction and movement during the consultation where possible.
Every child is different, and don’t all fit the same mold but we are looking for patterns that may suggest your child needs some additional support or assessment.
What if you have concerns about your child’s development?
This is an important part of the check.
You may have noticed that your child is difficult to understand, isn’t talking as much as other children, struggles with social interaction, has significant behavioural difficulties, or seems to have difficulty with certain everyday skills.
You may also have no concerns at all.
Either way, the Healthy Kids Check provides an opportunity to discuss these things with your GP.
If concerns are identified, your GP may recommend monitoring and review, additional developmental screening, or referral to services such as speech pathology, occupational therapy, audiology, optometry, dental services, paediatrics or other appropriate supports.
Early identification doesn’t necessarily mean that a child has a diagnosis. It means we have identified something worth looking at more closely.
Supporting your child’s health and development
The appointment also provides an opportunity to discuss practical ways to support your child’s development at home.
This may include advice about reading and talking together, play, managing behaviour and boundaries, sleep, nutrition, physical activity, screen use, toileting, oral health and injury prevention.
There is no expectation that families are doing everything perfectly. Parenting a 3-year-old can be challenging, and the purpose of the consultation is to provide practical, individualised advice that suits your family.
Why is this check important?
Some developmental and health concerns are obvious, while others can be subtle.
A child may appear healthy but have a hearing or vision problem. A speech delay may not become apparent until a child is interacting more with other children. Sleep problems, constipation, behavioural difficulties or family stress can also have a significant impact on a child’s wellbeing and often hard to pick up on.
A dedicated health check gives parents and GPs time to consider these areas together.
Most importantly, it provides an opportunity to identify concerns early and connect families with appropriate support when it is needed.
When will it be available?
The Medicare Healthy Kids Check is planned to commence on 1 November 2026, subject to the passage of legislation.
It will be available to eligible Medicare-enrolled children at 3 years of age and can be accessed once per child.
If your child is approaching their third birthday, speak with your GP about whether they will be eligible for the Healthy Kids Check once the program commences.
A final thought from your GP
Your child’s third year is a time of enormous growth and development. The Healthy Kids Check is an opportunity to make sure we are looking at more than just whether your child is physically healthy.
It gives us time to ask:
How is your child growing? How are they developing? How are they coping? And is there anything we can do now to help them thrive?
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