Respite worker Chris Melbourne (left) with Josh Bugg at the after-school program at Dandenong Valley School.
By Sarah Schwager
A PILOT program for disabled and special needs children in Casey could fade from existence unless funding is allocated.
Casey Kids Club, an after-school activities program for children over 12, has been running Monday to Friday for the past six weeks at the Dandenong Valley School in Narre Warren.
It is the only one of its kind in the region, and one of just three in Victoria.
Despite being deemed very successful by its organisers and local councillors – it has been running at full capacity most nights – there has been no indication from Casey Council or the State or Federal Government that the program will be funded beyond the 12 pilot weeks.
Cranbourne North mother Amanda Stapledon, who started the program, said there was a desperate need for the service in the community.
Ms Stapledon is a single mother of Peter, 13, who suffers from multiple disabilities including autism, and says she struggles to juggle employment with finding respite for her son.
Ms Stapledon said the after-school care program benefited not just the children, who often struggled in normal out-of-school programs, but also the parents.
She said it was hard enough to cope with one child with a disability, but most parents not only had to work but had other children who also needed their time and attention.
“This program allows parents to get involved with their other kids,” Ms Stapledon said. “These parents don’t have the time and energy to lobby for their family. But they do have the energy to vote.”
The program was put together by the Disability Inclusion Network in partnership with Bunurong Community Care and Wresacare, and Dandenong Valley School in Narre Warren generously offered to accommodate the service. It is run by qualified respite workers, with one worker per child.
Bunurong Community Centre service development coordinator Kellie Hammerstein said there continued to be a void for this type of service and she hoped the council and the Government would look seriously at the issue.
“Nobody is taking it as their responsibility to fight,” Ms Hammerstein said.
Local councillors Steve Beardon and Michael Farley and Holt MP Anthony Byrne recently visited the program to offer their support.
Mr Byrne said there was a real need for dedicated after-school and school holiday activity programs for special needs children. “The program is producing positive results for the children who are benefiting from the meaningful activities and socialising with their friends,” he said. “It has also been positive for parents as it allows them to maintain employment and attend to the activities of their other children.”
Mr Byrne said he would be actively seeking avenues for Federal Government funding of the program, as well as raising the issue in Parliament and at the next meeting of the newly formed Parliamentary Friends of People with a Disability.
Cr Beardon said he would be lobbying for funding for the program through Casey Council.
“The smiles on the children’s and parents faces says it all,” he said. “It is important for the mums and dads to have a quality of life as well as the kids. Everyone deserves to have a good life.”
For more information about Casey Kids Club or future programs contact Kellie Hammerstein on 8792 2354.
