Perth Kids Hub & The Darcy Effect are collaborating to bring you a rural paediatric health hub to help rural and regional families find the supports,
resources and services you need for your child, wherever you live in Australia.
And we’re starting off with the Great Southern Region of Western Australia.
Thanks to a grant from the Stan Perron Charitable Foundation, we are embarking on a project to help improve access to timely child development and mental health services in rural and regional Western Australia, starting with the Great Southern region.
We want to help address the challenges that rural and regional Western Australian families face due to their isolation and lack of choice when it comes to child development and mental health services.
Our aim is to help families connect with paediatric service providers with capacity, to support timely assessments and interventions crucial for child development.
We will extend the proven success of the Perth Kids Hub digital platform to families living in rural and regional WA.
But we know that’s not enough. We will consult with parents and service providers in the Great Southern region to co-design a prototype of a service that would help to improve access to timely child development and mental health services in the regions. We hope to develop a model that can be replicated and scaled throughout WA in the future.
No. We’re Mums who want to help other families get access to child development and mental health services when they need them. We know what the waitlists are like and we know it’s even tougher when you’re living in country or regional WA. We are not going to attempt systems wide change – it takes too long for our kids. We are focused on action for now and how we can help families to identify and access therapy services that have the capacity and expertise to support them. For these reasons we are focused solely on private services, not government-funded services.
We would love your input on our project and how we can be help. Please reach out to us using the contact form below. If you would like to list your business on the site, you will receive 50% off the cost of a listing for 12 months. Just use the code 50OFF. You must be a business physically located in the Great Southern region to qualify and this does not include businesses travelling to or with a local regional office.
We are seeking input from parents on how we can facilitate private services to quickly and nimbly provide needed supports.
Hello there! I’m Kate, a mother of three, wife, farmer & teacher. My mission is to create a positive impact in rural and regional Australia.
My journey began with a life-changing experience with our youngest son, Darcy, which ignited a passion within me to advocate for bridging the gap in rural health and education.
I firmly believe that by fostering positive relationships, we can minimise this gap.
As a parent, I understand firsthand the unique challenges of accessing support and obtaining a diagnosis for your child, especially in rural areas where resources may be limited. The geographical and emotional isolation only adds to these challenges.
That’s why I am thrilled to collaborate with Pia, as together, we aim to assist more families like ours and make their journey a little bit easier. You are not alone on the roller coaster. X
Hey there! I’m Pia, mum of two gorgeous curly-haired kiddos. I grew up in country WA and imported a rugby-loving husband from NSW.
Ten years ago our lives changed when we found out our baby would be born with a heart defect. We have since seen (seemingly) every kind of paediatric specialist and allied health practitioner in Perth.
In 2021 I started collating and sharing lists of paediatricians and allied health professionals to help stressed families out. It’s now grown into Perth Kids Hub, an online platform connecting families with therapists and doctors.
When Kate and I found each other, we knew we needed to team up to extend that same help to families in rural and regional Australia.
Perth Kids Hub is your online guide to Perth’s *amazing* paediatric therapists, specialists, educators and schools who support kids & teens who learn, think or are developing differently.
Perth Kids Hub is created in Boorloo (Perth) on the land of the Whadjuk Noongar people. I acknowledge the traditional custodians throughout Western Australia and their continuing connection to the land, waters and culture. I pay my respects to all Aboriginal peoples; Elders past, present and emerging.
Disclaimer: Information on Perth Kids Hub is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified health professional for concerns about a child’s health or development.
