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 Since the birth of our daughter 3 months ago, I have come to realize that relocating with children must introduce an entire new spectrum of questions and problems for a family looking to immigrate to Australia. Similarly, if you are faced with having to move whilst expecting a baby or fall pregnant very soon after your arrival, this can be a rather anxiety filled experience. So, I have decided to document the salient logistical points of my experience of an “Australian” pregnancy and birth to give moms and moms-to-be some comfort that the local medical and hospital system can support them (very successfully I might add). If
you require additional information that we have not
provided, contact us
and ask. |
| Australian property options | |||
| pregnancy | early childhood centres | life after birth | child care | is my child an Aussie? | |||
| our thoughts | what are your options | further info | |
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Pregnancy If you can plan ahead, I suggest that you wait until you qualify for Medicare (provided to anyone who is an Australia Permanent resident) as a pregnancy paid for from a private health fund will be somewhat costly. Of course, if money is not an issue, then this point is irrelevant. Remember that if you’re here on a working visa, you are required to have private health insurance by law (but monthly premiums are a lot heftier than if you were a permanent resident). Also, regardless of your status, most private health funds will only pay out pregnancy and obstetric benefits once you have been with them for a year. So make sure you have read all of the fine print before jumping in.
As soon as you know (suspect) you are pregnant you will need to go see a GP. The 5-10 minute yes/no consultation will result in you obtaining a reference letter to go and see an obstetrician. No obstetrician will see you without this, so don’t even try phoning ahead of time to make an appointment with an obstetrician (as I was so rudely told by one receptionist).
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If you do not wish to, or cannot afford a private obstetrician, then there are plenty of other options. A note here to ex-South Africans: Going to a public hospital or seeing a public doctor is actually quite common and not an imminent health hazard. In fact, in some instances you’re likely to get better service! Option 1: Have your entire pregnancy monitored by your GP (this is fine as long as you have an uncomplicated pregnancy) – then go to a public hospital for the delivery. |
Hospitals:
Sydney: Royal
Sydney: Royal
Country wide info: bub-hub: www.bubhub.com.au/ |
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Information on Costs
Options 1 to 3 all fall within Medicare schedules (i.e. will be covered by Medicare for the majority of the costs). Option 4 will mean that you will have to pay the difference between the Medicare schedule fee and what your obstetrician chooses to charge. This is often referred to as “the gap”. Private health funds DO NOT pay for pre-delivery consultations and expenses and they see this as something covered by Medicare (note that this does not apply to non-residents). Individuals who are not on Medicare will need to consult their individual medical fund policies to determine what is covered and what is not. Medical health funds will typically pay “the gap” of the delivery fee but up a threshold point. The rest you will be responsible for. This is what is referred to as an “out-of-pocket” expense. Most medical funds will also pay for any hospital stays and possible complications resulting from a delivery (e.g. a required ceasarian section) less your annual excess fee. So, what can all of this cost you? • A GP’s visit (initial visit is anywhere from $100-$120, and follow up visits around the $60-$80 mark). Rebates are claimable from Medicare, but you will have to pay in. • An obstetrician’s fees: Initial visit will cost you anywhere from $100 to $180 followed by visit fees of $80 to $120. You will be required to see your obstetrician / doctor / midwife once a month, up to 20 weeks followed by fortnightly visits up to week 35, followed by weekly visits after that (this assumes you experience no complications). An obstetricians fees can be anywhere from $3500 to $8000 depending on the obstetrician. Rebates are claimable from Medicare, but you will have to pay in. In this case it can be anywhere from 25% to 75% of the cost depending on the fees your obstetrician chooses to charge.
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Of course, what you choose to buy is up to you but remember that car seats are compulsory (you will not be allowed to leave the hospital with your newborn if you don’t have a car seat fitted in your car). You will most likely choose to buy a cot/bassinette for your baby to sleep in. A buggy (pram) to push it around in and of course all of the peripheral (small but it all adds up) items: Clothes, bottles, bath-time goodies, nappies, etc. Also, don’t forget, that you as an expectant mother will need new clothes during the course of your pregnancy.
Resources: |
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| early childhood centres | |||
| our thoughts | what are your options | further info | |
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You will be advised, prior to your discharge from hospital, as to which early childhood centre is located nearest to you. You will be
required to contact them for your first home visit by a midwife,
after which you will then be required to visit the centre. Weekly for the first couple of weeks, then at specified milestone dates. The early childhood centre will also allocate you into a mother’s group (all mothers who have given birth in the same month as yourself). You will get together for a guided course/general chat for 6 weeks at the early childhood centre, after which you will then decide if you wish to continue getting together on your own steam. I highly recommend this as it gives you the opportunity of meeting mothers in your local area and gives you a chance to vent, discuss any baby related issues, personal issues (if you wish) and the opportunity to organize baby friendly outings. 
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Speak to your local council or visit your local council's website for more information on early childhood services that they offer. | ||
| life after birth | |||
| our thoughts | what are your options | further info | |
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Sydney’s Child is a free resource/guide on attractions and things to do with young children in and around Sydney. The publication is available from most newsagents and bookstores. Alternatively you can view the information online at:
www.sydneyschild.com.au |
www.sydneyschild.com.au www.adelaideschild.com.au www.brisbaneschild.com.au www.canberraschild.com.au www.melbourneschild.com.au www.perthschild.com
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| child care | |||
| our thoughts | what are your options | further info | |
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Child Care is a highly debated topic in Australian. At least in the capital cities, long term day care is exceptionally expensive (Sydney’s rates vary from $70 - $95 per day). They
are also notoriously very difficult to get into (especially
if you plan on going back to work full time). There are usually year long waiting lists – so, if you know you’re going to need it, apply when you’re
pregnant and not once the baby arrives. For a government that is trying to increase the countries birth rate, I fell they are doing very little to support working families. As life in most capital cities (Sydney especially) is exceptionally expensive, it makes it very difficult for a couple to live on one salary for an extended period of time. You’d think that the government would increase child care places and offer higher funding to child care centres in order to make them more accessible. But enough on my thoughts on that… The best place to find out about what day care centres are in your area, or close to where your work, is to look this up on your local council’s website. As there are too many to list here, I will leave this up to you to investigate further. However, as an example, here is a list of all the day care centres located in the North Sydney council area: see example The above website also lists all the early childhood centres in the area, provides a list of vaccination clinics, play groups, vacation care, schools, pre-schools, and anything else related to child services. Although not all websites are as extensive (or user friendly), you can also contact your local council by phone and they will post you a booklet containing the same information that would otherwise be listed on the website. You can also choose to contact a franchised day care centre such as ABC learning centres and they will advise you of their closest day care centre to you. ABC Learning centres: www.childcare.com.au
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Different child care options explained: Long Day Care Centres offer childcare and individual learning programs for children aged from 6 weeks to under 6 years of age. Centres are open at least 8 hours each weekday, and can care for your child on a regular full time, part time or casual basis. They may be privately run, sponsored by local government or community organisations, or run by an employer for their employees. Long Day Care centres must be licensed and operate according to State Government regulations. Family Day Care is a sponsored childcare scheme providing care for children aged 0 - 5 years in the homes of carefully selected carers. The emphasis is on developing close personal relationships in the caring surrounds of the home. The service provides a developmental program to aid social and learning skills. Professional staff match carers with families, and monitor the quality of care through home visits to ensure government regulations and Family Day Care standards are maintained. Parents and children meet with the carer prior to accepting the care. A playgroup operates twice a week for Family Day Carers. Occasional Childcare offers short periods of care for children aged six weeks to school age. Parents may use occasional childcare for appointments, shopping, study, casual work, or to have a break. Centres must be licensed by the Department of Community Services and offer a program of activities. At least one staff member present must hold childcare qualifications. Parents are often involved in the running of the centre, and may choose to spend time caring for other children. Before and After School Care programs provide care for primary-school-aged children during the school term. These services normally utilise established facilities such as school rooms, community halls and recreation areas. They provide quality care by trained personnel in an informal, supervised atmosphere. Some services offer specialised recreational activities. Centres operate under the government guidelines of 'The National Standards for Outside School Hours Care'. General hours of operation are: Before School: 7.30am - 8.45am After School: 2.30 (for kindergarten) - 3pm-6pm. Vacation Care offers activities for school going children during local vacation times. Playgroups offer an opportunity for children aged 0-5 years to meet, play and learn with other children and a chance for parents and carers to mix with others. Their parent or carer must accompany children for the entire time. Playgroups may be held in halls, church grounds or community centres. A small fee to cover costs is usually charged. NSW: The Playgroup Association of NSW provides support to playgroups in NSW through playgroup starter kits, information and advice, field staff (including a special needs officer and an ethnic liaison officer), referral service, support network and discounted purchase on Playgroup Shop items. Telephone the Playgroup Association on (02) 9604 5513 or fax: (02) 9604 5541. Nanny – You can also choose to get a personal nanny or au-pair if you are happy to pay $150 or so per day (once again I am quoting Sydney prices here). An option would be to share a nanny with a friend in which case the cost could be shared between two families. Day mother – An individual can look after up to 5 toddlers without having to be a registered day care centre. There are some standards that you have to meet, but this option is not as tightly regulated as normal child care facilities are. Again, if you are in a position where you know 1 or more other mothers who have day care needs, and you are so inclined, you can look into this option. |
Resources: Nanny search: |
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| is my child an Aussie? | |||
| our thoughts | what are your options | further info | |
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Once all the excitement of having the little one has subsided and you start thinking about possibly
travelling back home to introduce him/her to all your relatives, you will stop to consider what passport you ought to apply for. A child born in Australia to parents who are permanent residents is automatically an Australian citizen and qualifies for an Australian passport. A child born to parents who are here on an temporary (working or otherwise) visa is not. To apply for an Australian child passport go to: http://www.passports.gov.au/Web/index.aspx As an Australian passport holder you will need to apply for a visa to travel to South Africa and most other countries - speak to your travel agent if you are unsure. If you wish for your child to be a South African citizen, you will need to apply under the following act: Descent (Section 3) A child born outside South Africa and of which at least one of the parents was a South African citizen at the time of the child's birth has a claim to South African citizenship by descent. The child's birth must, however, be registered in South Africa for the child to acquire South African citizenship. [Source: http://www.sahc.org.au/citizenship.htm] South African child passports can be applied for at the South African high commission in Canberra and take between 3-4 months to process. A cost of $25 is applicable.
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