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KidsMatter, an initiative which aims to promote good mental health in children and young students, has received a funding boost, which was recently announced by the Minister for Health and Ageing, Nicola Roxon.
The KidsMatter Australian Primary School project, which has been running since 2007, has received a boost of $12.2 million over the next three years. KidsMatter Early Childhood, which is in the early stages of implementing a pilot project in child care centres around the country, will receive $6.5 million.
The Minister says:
KidsMatter is a key initiative of the Rudd Government's approach to the promotion of good mental health, the prevention of mental illness and early intervention where problems arise.
Read Nicola Roxon's full media release.
KidsMatter Early Childhood
KidsMatter Early Childhood is a national early childhood mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention initiative specifically developed for early childhood services. It involves the people who have a significant influence on young children's lives – parents, families, care-givers, child care professionals, teachers, and community agencies – in making a positive difference for young children's mental health during this important developmental period.
The KidsMatter Early Childhood initiative aims to enable preschool and long day care services to implement evidence based mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention strategies that will:
- improve the social and emotional health and wellbeing of children from birth to school age,
- reduce mental health problems amongst children, and
- achieve greater support for children experiencing mental health difficulties and their families.
KidsMatter Early Childhood is a collaborative project between Early Childhood Australia, beyondblue: the national depression initiative and the Australian Psychological Society.
Learn more about KidsMatter Early Childhood.
Apply to become a pilot centre in the KidsMatter Early Childhood initiative.
KidsMatter Australian Primary Schools
The KidsMatter initiative has been piloted in more than 100 primary schools since 2007, and has already helped many children who are displaying signs, or are at risk, of mental health issues and difficulties.
Children who were identified as having 'borderline' or 'abnormal' levels of mental health problems benefited the most. At the start of the pilot project over a third of students were in these categories, but by the end more than three-quarters had normal levels of mental health.
Learn more about KidsMatter Australian Primary Schools.
Read the recent article Boost for pupil anti-stress program in The Age online.
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