BUSHkids 2016-17 Annual Report

NDIS

Rockhampton Early StartTeam From November 2017 BUSHkids will begin providing ECEI services to children and families living around Rockhampton, Gladstone, Biloela and all the way out to Emerald in the Central Highlands. The establishment of this service provides a strong link with BUSHkids’ rich 80-year history of providing services for Queensland children and families. BUSHkids was originally formed with the primary aim of providing support to children living in Central Queensland’s rural and remote communities who were suffering from the combined effects of The Great Depression and prolonged drought. The scheme established a home in Emu Park as early as 1938. Children aged between 5 and 13 were brought to Emu Park from across the Central West for a six-week stay during which they received respite from the rigours of Outback life, were given nutritious food and could receive medical and dental services not available in the bush. The Emu Park Home was replaced by a purpose-built home at Yeppoon in 1959, which operated until 1995. A year later, the organisation opened a new centre in Emerald, from where we still provide services to communities across the Central Highlands.

BUSHkids Early Start Team Funder National Disability Insurance Scheme

(NDIS) Partners in the Community Program – Early Childhood Early Intervention

Term 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2020 Service area Rockhampton LGA, Gladstone LGA, Central Highlands LGA and Banana Shire LGA Staffing

Above: Presenting 80 years’ worth of credentials – at the NDIS ‘Beach Day Out’ in Rockhampton, NDIA’s Regional Manager Queensland North, Des Lee, receives a copy of the history book BUSHIES from Carlton Meyn. Below: The first group of Bush children arrives at Emu Park in the summer of 1937 (left), apprehensive about the first encounter with the ocean. An even warmer welcome awaited later generations at the Yeppoon Home (right), shown here in the mid-1980s.

Approx. 30 FTE with a reduction by year 3 after transition phase The NDIS Partners in the Community Program enables implementation at a local community level, partnering with experienced and qualified organisations with strong local knowledge and understanding of the needs of families with children with developmental delay or disability, to deliver Early Childhood Early Intervention Services.

Service purpose

Susan Harrison and Carlton Meyn flank members of the Bundaberg Early StartTeam: Back row (L-R): Susan, Jenny McDonald, Helen Casey, Kay woods, RaeleneWhalley,AndreaTrudeau, Fiona Morgan and Janie Stupart Front row (L to R): Toni Garrett, Emma Cullum, Danae Vale, Simone Driver, Bonnie Barr and Carlton

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