Supporting children in Regional Victoria
Our Ovens Murray Early Childhood service in partnership with the National Disability Insurance Agency ( NDIA ) support children who are younger that 6 with development delays , and children younger than 9 with a disability and their families to access the right supports and services when they require it .
This year we focused on building parent and carer capacity to maximise support for their child from mainstream services and NDIS plans .
We also worked to build inclusion of children with social-emotional support needs in early childhood and education settings .
What did we achieve ? 620 + children and their families supported
Stories for kinder kids affected by floods
When floods ravaged North Eastern Victoria in October 2022 , many children experienced devastating impacts including :
evacuating their homes
seeing their kindergarten services destroyed
their kindergarten closing for safety reasons
seeing unusual activities such as emergency services in the streets and sandbagging
To support their mental health , we developed social stories and resources for kindergarten children , their families and their teachers .
Written in simple language with pictures , social stories explain situations and give children coping strategies to help them make sense of challenging feelings and experiences .
We also developed a tip sheet to parents to talk to their children about the floods .
The resources were distributed to kindergartens in the Goulburn region and Ovens Murray region and shared to reach broader regions of Victoria and Southern New South Wales . increased support required for growth of complex plans being developed and more people needing support in the region
50 + playgrounds assessed for accessibility
commenced development of an easy-to-read information package on accessible playgrounds in the Ovens Murray Region
Where can we improve ?
staffing remained a challenge , however we were able to recruit for three vacant positions
What ’ s next ?
supporting children and their families transition to a new NDIS computer system and processes to improve the experience of people in this region accessing the scheme
continue to help children and their families access supports as they need it
Aftermath of the floods damaged local kindergarten ’ s playground and equipment .
44 Health