Natural disasters and the pandemic have compounded the scarcity of support for children in regional Australia, putting them at risk of a cycle of disadvantage
At St Mary’s Parish school in Warren, Taryn Stephens can tell which of her pupils haven’t yet had luck accessing the help they need.Stephens says it is this health and education support, regularly available in the city, that determines the course of a child’s life. What they need is specialists who help children read and write, articulate themselves, regulate their emotions, and socialise.
She says this is because of the cumulative stress of drought, bushfires, the pandemic and floods, coupled with the tyranny of distance, the scarcity of health services, long waitlists and cost. “The demand is massive,” says president Tim Kittel. “It’s growing at an exponential speed, and it’s outstripping how many professionals we have. It’s terrifying.”
At her home, a hobby farm just outside Warren, she regularly takes her three-year-old son Lachie through a list of games to help with his speech disability. With a cheeky smile, Lachie cups his hands around a pretend birthday cake, gulps in air then puckers his lips four times to blow out the imaginary candles. It’s a lip protrusion exercise.
by the University of New South Wales in 2018 found a lack of specialists in rural and regional Australia has compromised the scheme for country communities.
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