The Koori Maternity Service (KMS) program provides access to holistic, culturally appropriate care for Aboriginal women and their families during pregnancy.  

This state-wide program is delivered by Midwives, Aboriginal Health Workers and Aboriginal Hospital Liaison Officers who work in a complementary team of two or more health professionals. Each Koori Maternity Service tailor their model of care to the local community. 

In the beginning Koori Maternity Services were established at 8 sites across Victoria (2000), today the program has grown to 14 sites. Eleven Koori Maternity Services are located in Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) and three have been established in public hospitals. 

KMS program objectives and aims

The objective of KMS is to improve pregnancy journeys through:

• Increasing access to, and participation in, antenatal services and postnatal support.
• Facilitating relationships between women and birthing hospitals.

KMS also strives to improve health outcomes and specifically aims to:

• Optimise the health and wellbeing of women and their babies.
• Identify and manage maternal and fetal risk factors, particularly early in pregnancy.
• Reduce perinatal morbidity and mortality, including incidence of preterm birth and low birth weight. 

Find your local Koori Maternity Service