Banyule Community Health is proud to be selected to deliver a major program on behalf of the Department of Education and Training – the School Readiness Funding (SRF) Program for Kindergartens in the LGAs of Banyule, Darebin, Nillumbik and Yarra from 2021 which is ongoing.
The SRF is intended to improve outcomes for children in a service by building the knowledge and skills of educators and families to implement strategies that address a range of children’s needs. The support provided to kindergartens is delivered through coaching, modelling, group training and other discipline specific services.
The SRF addresses three the priority areas of child development:
- Communication (language development)
- Wellbeing (social and emotional)
- Access and inclusion.
Banyule Community Health CEO, Mick Geary said
“We are delighted to be undertaking this vital work. The School Readiness Program is a crucial resource for health services and kindergartens to work collaboratively to ensure every child gets the best support to meet their developmental needs. Banyule Community Health is truly looking forward to establishing this program in the north east with our local kindergartens”.
Banyule Community Health commenced the program with 50 kindergartens in 2021 and is working in collaboration with each service to deliver a tailored plan of services over the course of the year.
Banyule Community Health’s team of highly qualified practitioners have a wealth of knowledge and experience in working collaboratively with educators and families to build on existing skills and improve outcomes for children.
Banyule Community Health’s multi-disciplinary team delivers session-based services with each kindergarten, which includes:
- Speech pathology – helping educators work with children with mild to moderate difficulties in speech, language, play, socialising, learning and stuttering.
- Child psychology – helping educators work with children to strengthen social and emotional wellbeing with supporting self-regulation and positive and pro-social behaviours
- Paediatric Occupational Therapy – helping educators work with children to develop skills in the areas of self-care, play, confidence, self-esteem, social skills and schooling. Paediatric occupational therapists can help children who have issues with learning improve their coordination, organisation and planning abilities. They can help parents and teachers to have a better understanding of their children’s capabilities.
The Banyule Community Health practitioners will be working on-site at each kindergarten, but in the event of COVID-19 restrictions returning, services will be delivered through an online platform.
For further information on the SRF program or to discuss any specific kindergarten queries, please contact Julie Wiltshire, Team Leader – Child Health, on 9450 2030 or by email at: julie.wiltshire@bchs.org.au
Acknowledgement: Funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care. Visit the Department of Health and Aged Care website (www.health.gov.au) for more information.
Disclaimer: Although funding for these Allied Health services has been provided by the Australian Government, the material contained herein does not necessarily represent the views or policies of the Australian Government.