Royal Far West is calling for continued funding from the Federal Government to ensure children will not miss out on the support they need to have their best start to school.
Royal Far West’s Schools and Early Years (S&EY) service, which has been supported by the Department of Health and Aged Care since 2019, has helped 31,806 children, teachers and caregivers in over 120 rural and remote schools and early learning centres and demonstrates the transformative power of early intervention. However, demand for services far exceeds capacity, with many children still unable to access essential care due to workforce shortages, geographic isolation, and financial barriers.
The S&EY service has been recently independently evaluated, by Dandolo Partners, showing significant results:
– 88% of children achieved or exceeded their therapy goals across disciplines resulting in increased classroom participation and improved social interactions with peers.
– 90% of educators gained confidence and skills to support children with additional needs.
– 88% of parents felt better equipped to support their child’s development, leading to reduced stress and improved family wellbeing.
As millions of schoolchildren and their families return to school, Royal Far West is calling on the government to commit to long-term funding for its services so that every child can thrive, no matter where they live. “Investing in early intervention services for country children builds not only their futures but also the resilience and prosperity of rural communities and the whole nation,” says Royal Far West CEO, Jacqui Emery. “Our services have a proven track record of making a real difference, and we are committed to helping as many country children as possible start school ready to learn.”
Despite the successes of the S&EY service, the program only reaches 3% of eligible schools and 1% of early childhood centres in rural and remote areas, leaving many children on waitlists. “This is a national issue,” urges Ms Emery. “We cannot afford to let geography dictate a child’s future. Continued funding is essential to close these gaps and ensure that every child has access to the care they deserve.”
The numbers are stark:
– Children in very remote areas are up to twice as likely to start school developmentally vulnerable.
– 190,000 children in remote areas have limited or no access to critical services like speech and language therapy or mental health support.
– 37 psychologists per 100,000 people in outer regional areas compared to 80 per 100,000 in cities.
– 70% of parents accessing Royal Far West services report mental health concerns, with over 50% of children having experienced trauma.
“In many schools we work with it is not 1 in 5 with a development challenge it is one third of the class and in some areas worse than that. It’s heartbreaking to see so many children starting school without the support they desperately need. Without continued funding, we risk leaving thousands of children and families without hope for a brighter future,” says Ms Emery.
The Government provided a welcome additional year of funding the last Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook. However, Royal Far West is seeking funding in the next Federal Budget through to 2030 to grow the service to further address the dire needs of regional, rural and remote communities and support an additional 30,000+ children, teachers and caregivers.