Registering Your Baby In ACT Made Easier

The Commonwealth and ACT Government are trialling an Australian-first where parents can register the birth of their baby across federal and territory government agencies using myGov.

The service uses a 'tell us once' approach, eliminating the need for parents to interact with government agencies on up to 7 occasions and repeatedly provide the same information.

The early stages of the trial use the details the parent provides at the hospital to register their baby for federal government services, supporting timely access to critical health services. This includes:

• Enrolling their baby in Medicare, the Medicare Safety Net, My Health Record and the Australian Immunisation Register, and
• Confirming the birth of their baby for the purposes of Centrelink Family Assistance claims.

The final stage of the trial has now been introduced at the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children in Woden and North Canberra Hospital in Bruce where parents can register the birth of their baby with the ACT Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages using myGov.

All they need to do is check their information is correct in myGov, fill in any gaps and hit submit, saving parents on average 30 minutes filling out paperwork.

The end-to-end digital service also reduces the risk of errors and ensures the baby's information is consistent across platforms.

The Commonwealth and ACT Government will work with other state and territory governments to roll out the trial in stages nationally.

Attributable to Minister for Government Services Bill Shorten MP:

Australia needs innovative government services, and this initiative is a huge step in the right direction.

We are making it easier for parents to access government support during one of the most important moments of their lives.

Parents shouldn't have to deal with multiple government agencies when registering the birth of their newborn baby which is why we're introducing a 'tell us once' approach.

This is another step to making government services simpler, so people can get on with their lives - in this case, giving parents back valuable time to spend with their baby.

Attributable to ACT Special Minister of State Chris Steel:

The ACT Government is delivering more services online and we're working with the Commonwealth Government to offer a better experience for Canberra families and our newest Canberrans.

This pilot is a great example of collaboration with the Commonwealth Government on important life events to streamline access to services across both governments through secure data sharing.

I know that the birth of a child is busy time in a parents' lives. This is about giving back time to new parents so they can concentrate on their new child.

This new system means spending less time filling out all the required forms whilst still gaining access to important healthcare and other services from birth.

Attributable to ACT Minister for Health Rachel Stephen-Smith MLA:

North Canberra Hospital and Canberra Hospital are two of the four hospitals in Australia to participate in the initial roll out.

This pilot is another example of how the ACT Government is implementing innovative programs to improve services provided to parents and families.

This builds on the investments we have made in expanding the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children, delivering the Digital Health Record and committing to midwife to patient ratios.

The Birth of a Child program is a key action in the ACT Government's The Best Start for Canberra's Children: The First 1000 Days Strategy.

Best Start aims to support parents and caregivers to feel confident and supported when raising children and have access to the help and information they need.