State Wide Communication Plan - Deadly Choices Birth Certificates

The Deadly Choices birth certificate pack is available through participating Deadly Choices partner health services in Queensland.

It provides children aged up to 5 years old who are up to date with their health checks and vaccinations with a limited edition Deadly Choices commemorative birth certificate design (choose from Broncos, Titans, Cowboys or Deadly Choices design) PLUS a legal birth certificate – which bub will need for things like enrolling in school or applying for a passport or license.

It is valued at $63, but available FREE to any child aged up to 5 who is up to date with their health check s and vaccinations.

This campaign is a collaboration between the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH) and the Office for Births, Deaths and Marriages (BDM). It aims to increase the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in SEQ whose births are registered within 60 days of birth.

Why are we doing it?

It has been estimated that, for many reasons, approximately 17% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander babies born in Queensland don’t have their births registered within 60 days of birth.

In addition, while registering a birth is free, getting a legal birth certificate currently costs $48.20.

This campaign aims to make sure every child accessing their local community controlled health service:

• Has their birth registered
• Has a legal birth certificate so they can do things such as enrol in school or apply for a passport or a license in the future.

Available through all Deadly Choices consortium health services in Queensland

The certificate packages will be available through:

Campaign promotion

We will be promoting the campaign via:

• Deadly Choices social media accounts
• Deadly Choices website: www.deadlychoices.com.au
• In-clinic promotion (pull up banners, posters, DL cards) – we can supply artwork files for you to have printed if you wish to have these in your clinics for promotion
• Editorial (articles in magazines, newspapers and online)
• At community days and other events
• In person when the Registry’s community liaison officer visits your community.

Posters/banners/postcard art files available for your service

We have prepared promotional artwork that can be supplied to your printer or service if you wish to produce promotional items for the campaign specifically for your service. Email-ready and print-ready versions of these files are available to download from the Deadly Choices portal.

We are also happy to add your logo to the artwork to localise it for you if require (note, this is the only change allowed). If you would like your logo to be added to the artwork files please contact either Lorraine or Shene from the IUIH/Deadly Choices marketing team at lorraine.pacey@iuih.org.au or shene.clemments@iuih.org.au.

Will it work?

Since the commemorative packs became available in South East Queensland health services in 2016 more than 400 packs have been distributed.

Given the estimated percentage of babies that do not have their births registered, it can be assumed that at least a proportion of these children would not have otherwise had their births registered.

What do clinic staff need to do?

Any child aged 5 and under who is up to date with their health checks and vaccinations is able to get the commemorative pack. The Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages will manage the entire process directly with the child’s family/carer. All you need to do is:

1. Confirm the child is eligible (aged 5 or under and up to date with 715 health check and vaccinations) and
2. Ask the parent/carer to fill out the Deadly Choices Birth Certificate Application form
3. Forward the form to the email or postal address listed on the form – or the client can do this if they prefer*

*Important! You must return the form to either the email address or postal address written on the form – if it is returned to the Registry another way (for example, using contact details from the Registry’s website) the family may accidently be billed for the cost of a standard birth certificate package.

The parents/carers are not sure if the child’s birth is registered or not

That’s okay – the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages will check and follow up with the family directly. All you need to do is get the completed form back to the registry and they’ll do the rest.

I’ve sent the forms off and not heard anything, who can I call to check?