“Getting to meet, spend time with and help grow, the most resilient, brave and all round awesome children and young people is what keeps me coming to work each day.”
That’s what Bianca Johnston, a child psychologist at Ipswich Act for Kids, had to say as she reflected on the team’s recent milestone of five years linking local children and young people with vital support services.
Ms Johnston said the team is passionate about delivering their services in the Ipswich community.
“Everyone here is so invested in helping families, children and young people feel understood, accepted and validated,” she said.
“We use a unique integrated therapy model to help children and young people overcome personal and domestic challenges.
“What this means is we offer the services of psychologists, speech pathologists and occupational therapists, all in the one place.
“This approach has been proven to achieve better outcomes for children struggling with developmental delays as they work through complex issues.
“Our services see us interacting with Ipswich’s most vulnerable children and young people, who often wouldn’t otherwise have access to this integrated therapy.”
The team, pictured with Minister for Child Safety Di Farmer, recently marked five years in Ipswich
Ms Johnston said Act for Kids played an essential role in the Ipswich community.
“Over the past five years, we have supported 98 children and young people,” Ms Johnston said.
“There are still many more children that we are hoping to help, there is huge demand for family support services in the region.
“We’re grateful to the local community for their support and engagement with our service, as well as our wonderful donors who help us keep our doors open.”
Ms Johnston said they were hoping to expand their services in Ipswich.
“Looking forward, we want to introduce our protective behaviour program, Learn to be Safe with Emmy and Friends, in local schools,” she said.
“The program teaches children lifelong protective skills, while also equipping educators with skills to address challenging topics with information and activities that align with the school curriculum.
“It also starts a conversation with children and their caregivers about personal safety.
“We need to ensure our services are sustainable, so that we can continue to support Ipswich children and their families over the years to come.”
Ipswich Act for Kids relies heavily on donations to support their programs. If you would like to make a donation, contact their head office on 1300 228 000.
Learn more about Act for Kids and their services on their website.
