Healthy Kids Bus Stop is returning to Laurieton to help improve the health and wellbeing of children aged three to five-years-old.
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In partnership with the Mid North Coast Local Health District and Ronald McDonald House Charities, with support from Mary Alice Foundation and The Corella Fund, Royal Far West will be delivering free child health checks at the Camden Haven Seventh-Day Adventist Church from Tuesday, March 24 to Thursday, March 26.
Identifying children's developmental issues before they start school is critical to their life trajectory, and the program will help identify children who will benefit from extra support and early intervention to maximise their opportunities at school.
The Healthy Kids Bus Stop program is designed to be fun and interactive, with children progressing through bus stops or 'health stations', hopping on and off at each station to complete their health assessment.
Royal Far West's Community Programs Manager John Reid said it's a great example of an integrated care partnership, with the Mid North Coast Local Health District providing the clinicians from a range of disciplines and departments.
"The comprehensive health stations include screening and assessment for oral health, hearing, food and nutrition, language and speech development, and fine and gross motor skill development," he said.
"There's also a general Child Health Check, which assesses each child's immunisation status and developmental milestones."
Each child's assessment takes a couple of hours to complete. Between health stations, children visit the play area while parents and carers are given the opportunity to consult further with the multidisciplinary health professionals and collect health promotion materials.
Children requiring further assessment will be referred to appropriate local services, and those with complex needs may also be referred to Royal Far West's Paediatric Developmental Program.
Children must to be registered to attend the Bus Stop.
This can be done at https://www.royalfarwest.org.au/programs/healthy-kids-bus-stop/ or by calling the team on 0408 555 249 for more information.
To help support children in rural and remote areas of Australia, please call 1800 500 061 or go to the website www.royalfarwest.org.au
