BCHS Annual Report 2025 - Report - Page 31
Loddon Children’s Health & Wellbeing Local
Support for children grows across region
Since opening in 2023, the Loddon Children’s Health and Wellbeing
Local’s team and funded partners have been working toward some
key goals to ensure the service was connecting with families who most
needed it. One of these goals was to enable access for families across
the Loddon Region to the suite of supports and services provided by
the Loddon Children’s Health and Wellbeing Local.
In the 昀椀rst year of operations, 21.74 per cent of children seen
lived outside the Greater Bendigo region. We are so proud
to report that in 2024-25 our reach has grown and 55.7 per
cent of children accessing services live outside the Greater
Bendigo region, in the shires of Loddon, Campaspe, Central
Gold昀椀elds, Mount Alexander and Macedon Ranges.
“The Loddon Children’s Health & Wellbeing
Local program provided timely, accessible and
compassionate support to my family struggling
to navigate the health system. After months of
inaction and long wait lists through traditional
pathways, my family experienced a fast, wellcoordinated response, including personal
outreach, home visits, and clear pathways
to relevant supports. The program not only
addressed my immediate needs but also gave
us a renewed sense of hope, reassurance, and a
practical way forward.”
Another priority was to provide a safe and accessible service
for First Nations children and families. In 2024-25 16.3 per
cent of children accessing our services identify as Aboriginal
and/or Torres Strait Islander.
Both of these outcomes have been supported through
the dedicated leadership and engagement of the funded
partners: Bendigo and District Aboriginal Cooperative,
Njernda Aboriginal Corporation, Echuca Regional Health,
North Central LLEN, Maryborough District Health Service,
Dhelkaya Health and Sunbury & Cobaw Community Health.
Through these partnerships, we have been able to employ
sta昀昀 located in each Shire, and design bespoke approaches
for each community.
includes supporting families to navigate the service system;
allied health sessions; mental health and wellbeing support;
individual and group sessions for both children and parents/
carers; paediatric health care; and culturally supported
engagement with First Nations families and families from
refugee backgrounds.
After taking the time to understand the needs of children
and their families, the range of services provided this year
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