May 2005

Focus on early childhood support

A new, State-funded program will help children with difficulties develop into happy, healthy adults.

Parliamentary Secretary for Health Daniel Andrews said 11 Community Health Services would share $275,000 to test the value of existing support for children with learning, behavioural and health difficulties—and find ways to improve it.

Visiting a treatment room at Plenty Valley Community Health for children with sensory integrative dysfunction Mr Andrews said the Child Health Team Research Project would focus on how much impact early child health intervention teams had on the lives of three to eight-year-olds and their families.

‘It will also provide vital information about how these teams can deliver even better services.’

Child health teams usually include speech pathologists and occupational therapists.

Some also have paediatricians, physiotherapists, psychologists, family casework counsellors, dietitians and neuropsychologists.

‘Receiving the right mix of services at the right time early in life can help prevent problems becoming full-blown in adulthood,’ Mr Andrews said.

The program involves the whole family—empowering parents to carry on the techniques learned in the various therapy sessions—so that families can follow up at home with ‘24 hour therapy’.

The seven other Melbourne project participants are Eastern Access Community Health, Whitehorse Community Health, ISIS Primary Care, Dianella Community Health, Cardinia-Casey Community Health Service, Frankston Community Health Service and Central Bayside Community Health Service.

The three country Victorian participants are Swan Hill District Hospital, Colac Area Health and Gippsland Lakes Community Health.