For community organisations—Our Kids Count

Register your bub – our kids count

Vicki: Hi, I'm Vicki from the Registry of Births, Deaths, and Marriages. I'm a Bindal, Wuluguraka and Juru woman.

My work involves visiting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities throughout Queensland.

I’m here today to talk to you about registering your bub.

It's important to register your bub because our kids count.

Elsie: My name is Elsie Seriat I've been born in T.I., Thursday Island.

Shelby: My name is Shelby Griffiths, I come from Kamilaroi and Wanaruah. I am a mum of two.

Auntie Margie: My name is Margaret Kiwat I come from the far eastern Torres Strait.

When the mother had their baby, I support them.

I do the education and I told them how to go down to register their baby and if they don't understand I help them with their paperwork to go down.

And I've always advised them that to register their baby it’s important.

Vicki: It is requirement that you complete a birth registration form and lodge it with the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages within eight weeks of bub's birth.

It's really important that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are recognised and counted.

If you require any assistance we're here to help you.

Aunty Margie: Bubba will grow up, bubba will have looking for a birth certificate to go to school, or to get their driver’s licence or to get their passport.

Vicki: Registering your bub means that they get a birth certificate which holds the key to our children's future, it allows them to carry our history into the next generation and to walk in both worlds with their culture and identity.

Joanne: My name is Jo Doyle. I am a Wopaburra woman and our country is Keppel Island.

I'm the manager of the ATSICHS, which is the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service, Brisbane.

Here at work we look to support the mummas to register their babies and understand the importance of it.

So, I regularly connect with the midwifery hub, the midwives, and have conversations around the importance of registering their babies at birth and how the process is to register the babies.

Vicki: It's free to register your bub, and there are 3 ways to do it.

You can do it by post—give us a call on 13 74 68 and ask for a birth registration form, which we'll post out to you.

You can also go to your local courthouse, a QGAP office or come into the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages at 180 Ann Street, Brisbane and fill in the birth registration form there.

Elsie: To register baby, then go to the local courthouse especially out here on TI you can visit the local courthouse here and if you're on the outer islands you go visit your local regional council office and they can help you there.

Vicki: If you have internet access and 2 forms of identification, you can register bub online, it'll take about 20 minutes.

Shelby: Skyler is my second child, she's 10 months old.

I registered through the births, deaths and marriages website, it was quick and easy, there's three main steps.

One is entering bub's detail, two is entering my details as the parent the third step is entering the father's details.

Vicki: If you don't have two forms of identification for both parents, call us—we're here to help you. If you're unsure about anything, you can give us a call on 13 74 68.

If you're in hospital talk to your local liaison officers or community support workers.

You can also yarn with your local health centre or community justice groups.

Elsie: It’s important for you for register your piknini, because our kids count.

Vicki: Register your bub because our kids count.