Families in Hume and Whittlesea are being reminded by Kids Helpline to keep an eye on their children’s wellbeing as they start the 2023 school year.
Yourtown, a provider of services for young people, is backing the call.
“It’s not surprising that heading back to school or the important step of starting school for the first time can be an anxious time for children,” yourtown chief executive Tracy Adams said.
“To help make things a little easier not only at the beginning of the new school year, but also through the year, schools are encouraged to tap into the free Kids Helpline @ School program supported by Bupa Foundation.”
Kids Helpline @ School is one of yourtown’s service offerings, which strengthens the reach of Kids Helpline by providing evidence informed learning “to support the social and emotional wellbeing of children when at school with topics such as bullying, resilience, friendships and student wellbeing”.
The program helps primary school students’ mental health literacy, normalises help-seeking behaviours and promotes positive health and wellbeing..
“We’re fortunate that Bupa Foundation has partnered with Kids Helpline to support our primary school-based program, aimed at intervening and preventing mental health and other wellbeing issues for children from a young age,” Ms Adams said.
“We know that mental health challenges often begin during childhood and if left unattended they can lead to poor outcomes in adulthood.
“Over the last two years there has been a surge in popularity of this innovative school-based program which has supported over 100,000 primary school students in this time. We’re looking forward to continuing that at this time of year as school is about to commence again.
“Teachers can connect their classroom to a Kids Helpline counsellor free of charge simply by booking a session at kidshelpline.com.au/schools/primary for a session that is both educational and interactive in a fun, engaging environment.”
Ms Adams said Kids Helpline is renowned as a “first point of contact” for children and young people who need counselling support.
“Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, children are able to choose telephone, WebChat or email counselling when they need to connect,” she said.
“Kids Helpline @ School offers early intervention and prevention sessions for primary schools in Australia to further support the wellbeing of students.”
