MCH handbook in Indonesia was introduced in 1994, Starting from one district in the Central Java Province and  gradually expanded to nationwide until it covers all 33 provinces in 2005. In Indonesia, MCH handbook contains two significant figures, they are 1) home-based record covering basic health service record, from pregnancy until child under five years old, and 2) home-based educational material regarding essential information to be known by families for the better status of mother and  child health.

In Indonesia, the role of Mother and Child Health Handbook is very important in Mother and Child Health (MCH). MCH handbook perform as a  control card, health record, and health guidance for the baby. It eases the mother and midwife or other health officers to see the development of children health. The use of MCH Handbook in Indonesia started in the 1994 in Salatiga, in 1996 it was expanded to 22 provinces, and in 2006 had already reached every province in Indonesia. The MCH Handbook has become one of the main factors to decrease the baby and toddler mortality rate in Indonesia from 1991 until now.