The Australian College of Midwives (ACM) is a national, not-for-profit organisation that serves as the peak professional body for midwives in Australia. The College was founded nationally in 1984, when midwifery associations in a number of states and territories came together to create a national peak body for Australian midwives.

As outlined in the ACM Vision, the College provides a unified voice for the midwifery profession, supports midwives to reach their full potential, and sets professional practice and education standards.

The ACM is committed to being the leading organisation shaping Australian maternity care, to ensure the best possible maternity outcomes for all Australian women.   It is guided by research evidence that pregnant women and mothers benefit from having access to midwifery care throughout their childbearing experience.

The ACM advocates for midwives by:

Actively promoting midwifery in the media and the community

• Lobbying federal and state governments
• Representing midwives interests on all major policy committees
• Preparing submissions to relevant government inquiries
• Collaborating with other health professionals.

We support midwives’ professional development through:

• Setting national education standards
• Assisting midwives to plan for, participate in, document and reflect on relevant continuing professional development through enrolment in the MidPLUS program for midwives
• Offering all midwives the opportunity to participate in supported peer review via the Midwifery Practice Review Program
• Organising national and state conferences where midwives can hear the latest research and network with colleagues
• Facilitating local workshops and seminars
• Providing professional practice tools and publications

The current ACM Strategic Plan can be found here  

The ACM is also the governing body for the Baby Friendly Health Initiative (BFHI) in Australia.  BFHI was developed jointly by the World Health Organisation and UNICEF in 1991.  The initiative is a global effort for improving infant health by supporting mothers to breastfeed their babies and removing impediments from the health care environment that  are known to negatively impact breastfeeding success.  BFHI was introduced in Australia in 1993 and has been governed by the ACM since 1995.  The BFHI Strategic Plan 2012-2017 was developed by the BFHI Advisory Committee in consultation with the wider BFHI community.  More information about the Baby Friendly Health Initiative in Australia can be found on the BFHI dedicated website here.

New! ACM Annual Report 2011/2012

For further information about recent activities and achievements, please see the Annual Report 2011/2012 here.

The ACM is incorporated in the ACT, where its Constitution is lodged. It is governed by a Board of Directors made up of 8 midwives elected by members from each state and territory in Australia. The Board elects a President each year, which chairs Board meetings and provides strategic direction and advice to the College Executive Officer.  The Executive Officer leads the National Office based in Canberra.

The College Board and office are governed in accordance with principles of accountability and best practice business management. Financial accounts are independently audited, and all surplus resources are invested in services for members.

Each year the College prepares an Annual Report for the Annual General Meeting, which is then lodged with the ACT Registrar General.

Each State and Territory has a Branch of the College that is separately incorporated. Each Branch has an Executive Management Committee made up of elected members.  See College Branches.