Communities for Children Newsletter April 2016

8/18/2019 Communities for Children Newsletter April 2016

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AMITY HEALTH CforC NEWSLETTER 2016 | 4 1

Welcome to the April Edition of the

Communities for ChildrenNewsletter

Communities for Children is funded by the AustralianGovernment via the Department of Social Services. Thisprogram is part of the Families and CommunitiesProgramme (FCP) providing prevention and earlyintervention programs to families with children who areat risk of disadvantage and disconnected from

childhood services.

Amity Health’s team is passionate about helping rural,remote and isolated families and their children. Our roleis to provide support to local community partners todeliver programs and activities so families can behealthy, feel supported and connected to theircommunities. Programs and activities are located invarious community based settings and reflect the needsof individual communities across the region.

Additional services available from Amity Health include Dietetics,Occupational Therapy, Child Mental Health, Speech Pathology

and Diabetes Education.

NEWSLETTER INDEX

Hub of the Month—Garden Grubs

2

One Year on at Amity Health 3

Travelling with children 4

Fussy Eaters 5

“What's On” in your Area 6/7

AEDC 2015 Ministerial Release 8

Community Activity Fund 9

Borden—Ready, Set, Go! 10

Albany Young Carers Club 11

Young Carers Laserscape Adventure 12

Upcoming events/Calendar 13

Subscribe to the latest Communities for Childrennewsletter at [email protected] or

phone Amity Health on 9842 2797

April Newsletter

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Communities for Children

Hub of the Month

Rainbow Coast NeighbourhoodCentre’s “Garden Grubs”

Garden Grubs is a free activity funded by the AustralianGovernment Communities for Children program forprimary school aged children and parents. Garden Grubshas been run by the Rainbow Coast Neighbourhood Cen-tre from the Community Garden on Sanford Rd since2011.

Based on the philosophy that the more kids get to spend

time in a veggie patch the more likely they are to eat adiversity of fresh fruit and

vegetables, Garden Grubs combines nature play,gardening, cooking and craft activities.

Popular sessions include bug hunts, tending theworm farm, ‘foraging’ for berries, snow peas andcherry tomatoes and ‘bandicooting’ for potatoes.

Garden Grubs runs from 3:30 to 4:30 on aWednesday afternoon during term time (starting the

second week of term) and offers a free, healthyafternoon tea. Please contact the coordinator, YannToussaint, through Rainbow Coast NeighbourhoodCentre on 98418254 for more information.


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ne Year n…

Readers of this page understand that birthdays are special…particularly in the early years. So, at Amity Health, we’ve decid-ed to celebrate the first anniversary at our new location.

In one sense, it feels as if 136 Lockyer Avenue has been home

forever…. In another, it feels as if it was only five minutes ago

that we were unpacking boxes.

As an organisation, we’ve been around for a while now, morethan twenty years if you’re counting (and we have been!) In that time we’ve grown from a tiny team of three ,when all we had was a phone, a kettle and a new supply of stationery, to a mature organisation deliveringservices in many rural and regional towns and communities in southern WA.

You may have seen us on the road in the Goldfields, or the south west forests. We’re on the road in the backblocks of the Wheatbelt, and the country towns of the Great Southern. Esperance, Bremer Bay, Albany andDenmark are on our coastal watch. Serving our country communities is what we do. And we can do that withtelehealth, improved care coordination, or on the road, linking in with other services and buildingpartnerships as we go.

Something Special for Children

When we moved, we wanted to offer something special for children. We have specialised staff who knewexactly what we could be providing, and wanted us to be offering the very best So, we developeda brand new child therapy wing . The rooms are bright and welcoming and we have toys, games… even aswing and a hammock for children to enjoy.

We have a team of clinicians experienced in working with children:

Cleo Drygan – our Occupational Therapist

Michelle Robson – Speech Pathologist

Danita Walsh – Occupational Therapist, specialising in child mental health and art therapy.

Arielle Hyland — Accredited Dietitian, with an interest in children.

Some children require just a few simple strategies, others have more complex needs. Talk to our therapistsand they can provide you with advice.

We also offer services to schools – supporting teachers with classroom strategies for individual children,and offering screenings and reports.

We have a child health nurse who workswith children at daycare, providing ascreening service at 18 months andthree to three and half years. It’s a greatway to check your child is on track be-

fore startingkindy. This is a wonderful service, pro-vided in partnership with West Australi-an Country Health Services.

Come and call, say hello, find us on

Facebook… we’d love to meet you and

see how we may be able to help you

and your family.

Amity Health

136 Lockyer Avenue, Albany

T: 98 422 797


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Travelling with hildren

Planning holidays with kids

Whether you’re hanging out in one spot or heading off to explore, holidays with kids are about planning forshort attention spans and short travel times.

Here are some top tips:

You’ll need lots of breaks and fewer activities than you would if you were travelling on your own

or with adults.

Plenty of stops for meals and drinks will keep everyone’s energy levels up.

Everyone has more energy in the morning, so this can be a good time for adult activities. Kidscan look forward to their activities in the afternoon.

Activities and local attractions to keep children entertained might involve swimming, games, play-grounds, carnivals, fun parks and movies.

Don’t forget to plan down time for yourself too. If your children are entertained with organised ac-tivities, are playing with other children, or are looked after by babysitters, you’ll get a break foryourself.

If your holidays are going to involve long car, bus, train or plane trips, it might pay to think ahead

about ways to keep your children entertained. Depending on the age of your child, it can be help-ful to have books, toys and movies available.

If travelling in the car, consider getting a sun screen for the back windows to help block the sun.

Keep drinks and snacks handy for eating and drinking on the go.

Make sure you take enough nappies, baby wipes and nappy bags if you won’t be able to buy them

on your trip.

Involving kids in holiday planning

Getting the children to help you plan your holiday can get them interested and excited. Their input can helpyou have a holiday that’s fun for everyone.

You could get some books from the library orfind some websites about the place you’re go-ing. That way your children can look at picturesand tell you what looks like fun. You could reador tell some stories from the place you’ll visit, or

learn a few words of the language if you're go-

ing overseas.

If your children are younger, you can come upwith a basic plan and give them some optionsto choose from.

Although holidays are exciting, some kids do

get nervous about the break from routine. Talk-

ing about holiday plans is also a good way to

help them settle in to the idea and reduce anxi-

ety.

Sourced from http://raisingchildren.net.au/


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Fussy EatingArielle Hyland

Accredited Practising Dietitian

Meal times can be stressful for parents,especially when the dining table turns in-to a battlefield. Often fussy eating is lessabout taste preferences and more aboutthe child wanting to be independent.When a child refuses food, parents mightfeel frustrated and concerned that thechild isn’t eating enough. Here are sometips that will help make meals more enjoyable for all.

You decide what your child eats and they decide how much they eat

Children have sensitive appetites and small stomachs. Try not to put too much their plate tobegin with, if they are still hungry they will ask for more. Ensure they have a good appetite for their meal by avoiding snacks and drinks within an hour

beforehand. Encourage your child’s independence by allowing them two options. This respects their likes

and dislikes but you remain in control.Be a positive role model Eating meals together as a family allows your child to learn about food and eating habits. Provide healthy foods and show that you enjoy them. Make mealtimes a positive, relaxed, and calm experience. Avoid punishing your child if they

refuse to eat a food. Stay calm and quietly remove their plate.

Children respond well to regular meal routines. Avoid distractions such as toys or TV at mealtimes.

Avoid bribing with food (such as “eat your vegetables, if you want dessert”) as this tendsbackfire. Use other rewards such as stickers, visiting the park, or playing a game.

Explore food with your children Offer new foods to your child. If they reject it, offer again and again! Children commonly need

to be offered a new food more than 10 times before they accept it. When trying new foods, serve them with some of your child’s favourite foods. Arranging foods

in the shape of face and offering a variety of colours, shapes and textures can make the mealmore fun.

Remember that a healthy child will not starve themselves If your child won’t eat, think about possible reasons. Are they full from a recent snack? Is

there too much food on the plate? Are they feeling ill or overtired? Wait until the next scheduled meal or snack before offering an alternative food. Avoid

substituting the missed meal with milk, desserts, chips, biscuits, or lollies as your child willsoon learn this is a reward for refusing meals. One or two skipped meals a week will not harma healthy child.

Useful websites about child nutrition and eating habits Australian Dietary guidelines https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/ LiveLighter for Families https://livelighter.com.au/livelighter -for -families/ Food Balance game for children http://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/nutrition

-calculators/food

-balance

Parents’ Voice http://www.parentsjury.org.au/ Western Australian School Canteen Association http://www.waschoolcanteens.org.au/parents/

https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/https://livelighter.com.au/livelighter-for-families/https://livelighter.com.au/livelighter-for-families/https://livelighter.com.au/livelighter-for-families/https://livelighter.com.au/livelighter-for-families/https://livelighter.com.au/livelighter-for-families/https://livelighter.com.au/livelighter-for-families/http://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/nutrition-calculators/food-balancehttp://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/nutrition-calculators/food-balancehttp://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/nutrition-calculators/food-balancehttp://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/nutrition-calculators/food-balancehttp://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/nutrition-calculators/food-balancehttp://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/nutrition-calculators/food-balancehttp://www.parentsjury.org.au/http://www.parentsjury.org.au/http://www.waschoolcanteens.org.au/parents/http://www.waschoolcanteens.org.au/parents/http://www.parentsjury.org.au/http://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/nutrition-calculators/food-balancehttps://livelighter.com.au/livelighter-for-families/https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/


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BORNHOLM - Western Districts Playgroup: Thurs 9.30am.Bornholm Hall, Lower Denmark Rd, ContactRenee 0458 149 735.

BREMER BAY

- Playgroup: Tues mornings. Ph Veronica Thomas0413 761 370. - Story Time at the Library. Ph: Bremer BayCommunity Resource Centre 9837 4171 - School Holiday Program. Ph Bremer BayCommunity Resource Centre 9837 4171

CRANBROOK - Playgroup: Friday 9am – 11am, CranbrookPrimary School. Ph 9826 1028

DENMARK - Denmark Library: Rhyme time: Mon 11am. Storytime: Thurs 11am. - Denmark Playgroup: Mon 9 – 11am. GumnutCorner (Child Care Centre)

FRANKLAND RIVER - Frankland River Playgroup Wed 9:30 - 11:30.Community Resource Centre, 55 Wingebellup Rd.E: Genelle [email protected]

- Play in the Park, 10am to 12pm. 4

th

Wednesdayof the month Federation Park (next to Library)

GAIRDNER - Gairdner Playgroup: Tues 9.30 – 11.30am Ph:Jen 0409 425 915

GNOWANGERUP - Gnowangerup Playgroup: Tuesday – 9:30-11:30.Family Centre Building, Whitehead Rd. ContactRenee 9825 8188 - Gnowangerup Library: Story time: Thurs 9.30am:

Contact the Gnowangerup CRC - Play in the Park, 10am to 12pm. 3

rd Wednesday

of the month Community Park

JERRAMUNGUP - Mother’s Group: Tues (f/night) 10-12noon,Jerramungup CRC. Ph: 9835 1630 - Story Time at the CRC Library Ph: 98351630 - School Holiday Program, contact theJerramungup CRC Ph: 9835 1630 - Play in the Park, 10am to 12pm. 1

st Wednesday

of the month Roe Park KENDENUP - Storytime: Fri 9am at Kendenup PS. Ph:98514061 - Playgroup: Tues 9.30am. Kendenup Hall.

‘What’s On’ in the Great Southern for April 2016 ALBANY - Australian Breastfeeding Assoc: Thurs 10-12, 18Chester Pass Rd. (Albany Playgroup). Emilynne9844 1458, visit www.breastfeeding.asn.au - Albany Breastfeeding Centre: 99 Collie St.

Appts: Mon, Wed and Fri afternoons. Ph 9842

7561.

- Albany Library: Story Time: Thurs and Sat10.30am. Rhyme Time: Wed and Fri 10:30am. - Albany Museum: school holiday activities- Albany Playgroup: 18 Chester Pass Rd, Tues,Wed & Fri: 9.30-12 noon. Ph Jane 0400 209 767. - ALAC Swim School: All ages and stageswelcome. Ph: Nola 9844 2274 [email protected] - Immunisation Clinic: Tues 1.30-4pm and Thurs1.30-4pm at Population Health, Warden Avenue.

Ph: 9842 7500 for appointments.

- King River Playgroup: King River Hall, Millbrook. Playgroup & 3yr old Kindy. Mon, Wed, Thurs &Fri, 10-12pm. Ph: Janine 0438 945 604. - Little Grove Playgroup: Tues, Wed & Fri 9.30-11.30am. Little Grove Progress Hall. Ph: Rebecca0411 858 567. - Mt Lockyer Primary School Playgroup: Wed 9am- 12 noon. Please bring a piece of fruit to share.Mt Lockyer Child and Parent Centre. Ph: 98429998.

- Mt Lockyer Child and Parent Centre: Rhyme

Time: Mon 9.30-10.30am. Jumping Joeys: Tues9.30-10.30am. Mt Lockyer Primary School. Ph:9842 9998. - My time: Support for parents of children withspecial needs, Wed 9.30am at Wanslea. Ph: Di9842 9998. - Play in the Park, Tues & Fri 10-12noon CullPark, Campbell Rd. Ph: 0409 048 204 - PCYC: 77 Sandford Rd. Low cost activities.Toddler Gym: Mon & Thurs 10am. Kindy Gym:

Tues 4.30pm. Gymnastics: Mon, Thurs & Fri 4pm;Sat 8.15am and 9.45am. For teens Strike II: Fri7.30pm. Jnr Rangers: Tues 6pm. Police Rangers:Tues 6.30pm. Ph 9842 1716 or 9841 6672. - Rainbow Coast Neighbourhood Centre, 219North Road. Ph 9841 8254. Parent SupportPrograms and Community Garden activities. Freeand low cost activities. Crèche facilities aregenerally available but please call ahead. - Rainbow Coast Toy Library: for children 0-8years. Sat 10am -12 noon (school term). Fri byappt.. Behind PCYC building 77 Sanford Rd.

E: [email protected]

BORDEN - Ready Set Go (Borden Early Years Network). 9 - 11am at Borden PS. Ph: Shannon 0428279288

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/mailto:[email protected]


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‘What’s On’ in the Great Southern for April 2016 KATANNING - Katanning Library: Story time & Baby RhymeTime. 10am on alternating Tues. Ph Mickala 98214300. - Badgebup Playgroup: Wednesday, 9.30am,Badgebup Hall. - Family, Fun and Learning: Supported Groups:

Tues 9am-12 (for migrant families), Fri 9am

-12

(universal). Ph: Katie from Wanslea 9821 1102. - Walk & Talk: Wednesday, 9am. Contact 98212009. - Katanning Playgroup: 0-5 years. Wed 9.30-11.30. Thurs 10am-12 noon. 84 Conroy St(opposite public pool) E:[email protected] - Katanning Toy Library: Tues & Sat 10.30-11.30am Katanning Library, Austral Tce. - Play in the Park, 10am to 12pm. 2

nd Wednesday

of the month. All Ages Playground

KOJONUP - Kojonup Playgroup: Tues 10am-12 noon & Thurs9.30-11.30am. Spring St. - Toy Library: Tues 9.30am, playgroup building. - Story time in the Park with activities 10am –12pm every 4

th Wednesday of the month at Apex

Park, contact Kojonup Library 98312412

MT BARKER

- Mt Barker Toy Library: Thurs 10-11.30am at Mt

Barker CRC, Robyn 0402 115 680 [email protected]

- Play in the Park: 10-12noon Thursday, Mt Barker

Library. Ph: 0409 048 204.

- Mount Barker Playgroup: Wed @ 11am. RSL

Club, Booth St. Ph: Tara 0448 124 443.

- Madar Mothers Group Wednesday, Mt Barker

College Ph Leith 0428 359 713

Manypeaks

- Manypeaks Play Café: Tuesdays, at the Primary

School Ph: 98461269

NYABING -Nyabing Playgroup: Thurs 9-11am. CWA Hall.Ph: 9828 5200 or [email protected]

ONGERUP

- Community Activities at the CommunityResource Centre, Contact: 9828 2325

PINGRUP

- Play in the Paddock Events – check with theCommunity Resource Centre, 98201101

- Pingrup Playgroup: Wed 9.30- 11.30am,Pavilion, Gaby Street, 98201123

SOUTH STIRLING - South Stirling Playgroup: Monday 9.30-11.30am,South Stirling Hall.

TAMBELLUP - Tambellup Kids: After School and School

Holiday programs for children and youth. Fordetails of events during term and HolidayProgram, Ph Viv 0477 999 950 - Tambellup Playgroup: Tues 10am. Crowden St.Ph: Ashleigh 9825 1770. - Indigenous Parenting Playgroup: Friday 9.30am,Primary School. Contact: 98251144

WALPOLE - Walpole Kinder Gym. Tues 10 to 11am: 0-5 Activity Ph: Maree: 0418 916 543

WELLSTEAD - Playgroup: Wed 9.30-11.30am, WellsteadPrimary School. Ph:9847 2030

WOODANILLING -Playgroup: Fri 9.30am - 12pm during school term.Contact Bindi Murray 0409 347 299.

Please subscribe to the latest Communities forChildren newsletter by [email protected].

Contact the CforC teamat Amity Health toupdate program contactdetails and information

on 98 422 797 or emailas provided above.

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Release of the 2015 AEDC results

Mar 09, 2016

Findings from 2015 AEDC

In the 2015 data collection, information was collected on 302,003 children in Australiarepresenting 96.7 per cent ofchildren in their first year of full-time school. The key findings included:

22 per cent of children were developmentally vulnerable on one or more domains.

11.1 per cent of children were developmentally vulnerable on two or more do-mains.

15.5 per cent of girls and 28.5 per cent of boys were developmentally vulnerableon one or more domains.

The majority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were not considereddevelopmentally vulnerable, 42.1 per cent of Indigenous children were develop-mentally vulnerable on one or more domains.

Where children live can have an impact on their development. Of children living inmajor cities, 21 per cent weredevelopmentally vulnerable on one or more domains, compared to 47 per cent ofchildren in very remote areas.

Socio-economic status can have an impact on a child’s development. Children liv-ing in the least socio-economicallydisadvantaged Australian communities were most likely to be on track on each ofthe AEDC domains.

Under sixteen percent of children living in the least socio-economically disadvan-taged Australian communities weredevelopmentally vulnerable on one or more of the AEDC domains compared withnearly 33 per cent of children in the mostdisadvantaged communities.

In 2015 there was an increase in the percentage of children from least disadvan-taged communities vulnerable on one or more domains compared with 2012, alt-hough this remained lower than in 2009.

In the most disadvantaged communities the number of children developmentallyvulnerable on one or more domains in 2015 decreased from 2012 although re-mained higher than in 2009.

Visit the AEDC website to access your community’s AEDC results. www.aedc.gov.au


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APRIL CALENDAR

Communies for Children - Lower Great Southern is funded by the Australian Government via the Department of Social Services.

This program is part of the Department of Social Service’s Families and Communies Programme (FCP) providing prevenon and early interven-

on programs to families with children who are at risk of disadvantage and disconnected from childhood services.

Communies for Children is managed by Amity Health with the aim of overseeing the development of acvies and

organising funding allocaons to selected community projects in the Lower Great Southern.

Addional services available from Amity Health include:

Amity Health 136 Lockyer Ave PO Box 5294, Albany WA 6332

T: 9842 2797 F: 9842 2798 E: [email protected] W: www.amityhealth.com.au

Speech Pathology Diabetes Educaon

Occupaonal TherapyChild Mental Health

Dietecs

Tip: Sck this on your Fridge or Noce Board and add your own acviesto aend this month

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4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

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ANZAC Day

Public Hol

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S C H O O L H O L I D A Y S

S C H O O L H O L I D A Y S

Communities for Children Newsletter April 2016

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Transcript of Communities for Children Newsletter April 2016