New MACHA app for Victoria's Maternal and Child Health nurses
A new digital platform will help MCH nurses share information and make referrals, with a statewide rollout from March 2027.
Victoria's Maternal and Child Health (MCH) nurses will get a new digital platform to share information and make referrals, with nurses getting access from December and a statewide rollout from March 2027, the Victorian Government says.
The Maternal and Child Health Application, or MACHA, was announced on Friday 23 October by Minister for Children Lizzie Blandthorn.
For Victorian families who see an MCH nurse in the early years of a child's life, the change is mostly behind the scenes – but the government says it should make care easier to coordinate.
What MACHA will do
According to the release, MACHA will:
- help MCH nurses share information and make referrals with hospitals, councils and other support services
- make it possible to access MCH and other support services in another part of Victoria for families who have temporarily moved
- connect with the Parent Portal, which the government describes as a one-stop shop for trusted information, services and support for parents and carers.
“This platform will help nurses connect families with the services they need. Care will be more coordinated and more convenient,” Ms Blandthorn said.
Built with nurses
The government says MACHA was designed with MCH nurses, and that their decades of frontline experience sit at the heart of the platform.
When it starts
- From December 2026: nurses get access through a dedicated training and transition environment, giving them time to learn the system and build confidence.
- From March 2027: the statewide rollout begins.
MACHA is part of the government's children's digital reform program.
What it means for you
The release does not list any steps parents need to take. If you have questions about your child's MCH visits, your local MCH nurse or council MCH service is the place to ask.
Sources: Victorian Government media release, “Better Tools For Maternal And Child Health Nurses”, 23 October 2026 (premier.vic.gov.au). Adapted from “Better Tools For Maternal And Child Health Nurses”, Victorian Government media release, 23 October 2026. © Copyright State Government of Victoria, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence; this version has been edited and shortened, and party-political content removed. Illustrations: The Dosage.