Mobile childcare in Gnowangerup shire on the front foot to solve ...
A not-for-profit, mobile childcare service is attempting to help solve poor health and dental outcomes in rural multicultural communities.
Gnowangerup Family Support Association's pop-up services, based in the town 350 kilometres south-east of Perth, are sent to neighbouring towns including Borden, Ongerup, Newdegate and Nyabing.
The area is a big farming community where many Aboriginal Australians and migrants call home.
The association's unique mobile, occasional childcare centres not only help parents and carers in isolated areas get back to work, but also try to improve the health of children in the area.
The service travels to neighbouring towns to cater for isolated families. (ABC Great Southern: Briana Fiore)
A 2022 impact report from the Telethon Kids Institute in WA showed concerns around dental-related hospitalisations of babies and toddlers in the Great Southern region.
That area included Katanning, Gnowangerup, Kojonup, Broomehill, and Tambellup.
The report found that young children in the Great Southern were hospitalised at a rate almost double that of the WA state average.
Gnowangerup's occasional childcare centres are a mobile service. (ABC Great Southern: Briana Fiore)
Dental problems were found to be "one of the highest causes" of hospitalisation in kids under eight years of age in the area.
The report found that health promotion, early identification, and early treatment could help solve the problem.
How the service is helpingThe Gnowangerup service caters for kids across the shire. (ABC Great Southern: Briana Fiore)
Gnowangerup Family Support Association director Denise Franco said there were no other childcare centres across the shire and the not-for-profit was helping many migrant families.
Ms Franco, who was born in the Philippines, said the service helped educate migrant parents about health services available in Australia.
Denise Franco says the service helps children and parents. (ABC Great Southern: Briana Fiore)
Ms Franco also said the centre had helped bring free dental van check-ups to its students.
This helped make sure any issues in gums and teeth were detected early.
"My goal is to reach out as much as possible," she said.
The service has also helped parents build a support network to curb feelings of isolation.
Gnowangerup shire president Fiona Gaze said it was important to have quality childcare in the area, providing an opportunity for parents to return to work.
Gnowangerup Shire president Fiona Gaze says the childcare service benefits the town and the children. (ABC Great Southern: Briana Fiore)
But despite the positive impact the centre appeared to be having, Ms Franco said it needed more staff.
She said childcare educating was a rewarding career and encouraged others to give it a go.
"I tell new staff this job requires you to be an octopus and have eight arms," she joked.
Posted 2 hours agoSun 16 Jul 2023 at 9:03pm
