The Healthy Kids Bus Stop will be at Bourke Public School from Monday 7 to Wednesday 9 August, offering free health and developmental check-ups for all the three-year-old children in the Bourke area.
To access this award-winning program, parents and carers can contact Maranguka Community Hub, CentaCare, Mission Australia, Bourke Public School, St Ignatius Primary School, RaRMS, BDCS, BAHS, or contact Royal Far West directly on 02 8966 8557, where they will be given a time slot to suit them and their child. The Bus Stop program takes around two and a half hours to complete.
If children have not been registered, but would still like to come, walk-ins will be accepted.
The Healthy Kids Bus Stop is an integrated ‘whole of child’ health and developmental assessment and pathway to care program which aims to improve the health and wellbeing of children living in rural and remote communities through early detection of lifestyle risk factors, delayed development and/or illness.
The assessments are undertaken by a team of nursing and allied health staff and include a child health check, hearing screening, dental check, fine and gross motor skill development screening, language and speech development check, and a food nutrition check.
As part of the program, the children receive a bus pass, which is stamped at each ‘bus stop’ station health check they complete. When all required stations have been completed, the children are given a Healthy Kids Bus Stop bag containing items to promote healthy habits and play.
Importantly, the program’s pathway to care ensures that children are given a referral pathway to receive the ongoing support they need, through collaborative partnerships with local service providers and Royal Far West.
Royal Far West CEO Lindsay Cane says, “We are delighted to offer these vital health checks to local children and are extremely grateful for the support of our partners. This program is a wonderful example of how true collaboration and a shared vision for the health and wellbeing of country kids can create meaningful outcomes.”
Royal Far West, in partnership with Maranguka and the Justice Reinvestment Project Early Childhood Working Group and supported by CAGES Foundation, are proud to bring the service to Bourke, as an initiative of the Justice Reinvestment Project for Bourke.
Pic: Wanda getting her hearing checked
Royal Far West media contact: Deb Gibbons, PR Manager. Ph: 0413 554 834
