Central Great Southern child health: EYP Children Growing Strong program officially launched in Katanning

The Early Years Partnership (EYP) Children Growing Strong program was officially launched to Central Great Southern community members and leaders in Katanning on Friday May 5 by minister Sabine Winton and Thrive by Five director Jay Weatherill . Made up of the shires of Tambellup-Broomehill, Kojonup, Gnowangerup and Katanning, the Central Great Southern region is one of four sites that the 10-year program is being rolled out in across WA. Similar community-driven EYP programs will take place in Armadale West, Derby and Bidyadanga Aboriginal Community to ensure that the diverse needs of children from metropolitan to very remote WA are explored, investigated and met. It is hoped that the $50m program, funded and developed through a partnership between the WA Government and philanthropic organisation Minderoo, will improve health outcomes for CGS children by focusing on their first four years of life. One in five children in WA are considered developmentally vulnerable by the time they start full-time school – in the CGS the figure is higher at one in four. The CGS EYP plan was co-designed in partnership with the Telethon Kids Institute and Badgebup Aboriginal Corporation. The initiative will focus on achieving better outcomes for children by focusing on child health to reduce the number of preventable child hospitalisations that occur in the CGS and increase the number of children that are meeting developmental milestones. Co-chair of the Children Growing Strong working party Jo Webb said that achieving family financial well-being, safety and maternal health will also be priorities of the program. “The way that we are going to bring about change together will be unique to the Central Great Southern,” she said. Badgebup CEO Julie Hayden, who co-chaired the CGS working party with Ms Webb, said that the program represented change. “Some families are struggling and can’t get out of the trough and it’s up to us to lend a helping hand,” Ms Hayden said. “Many times service providers are sitting there ticking boxes saying that they’ve engaged with us when they haven’t. It is important to ensure that healthcare funding is poured into this so that things don’t stop abruptly. Our community plan is about us, and we are proud that we are ready to launch our plan today.” Badgebup employed four Culturally and Linguistically Diverse community navigators to engage with the CGS community to shape the EYP plan and Lisa Eades and Hafidah Eradat shared case studies with the audience. Ms Eades described the journey of a child taken from its mother that found culture, happiness and home after being placed with extended family. “This is one of the case studies that has had a positive outcome but I also acknowledge that many Aboriginal people haven’t had positive outcomes,” she said. “With all of us walking and working together as one, hopefully we can make better outcomes.”