Mental illness among parents can be debilitating for children, with long-lasting mental health impacts.
Telethon beneficiary Australian Kookaburra Kids Foundation envision a world where everyone experiences a happy childhood, free from the impacts of family mental illness. Their unique mental health education programs is where this all begins.
The Kookaburra Kids camp and activity days help equip vulnerable children with skills, peer support and emotional literacy to share their journeys.
Early intervention enables healthy childhood enjoyment and reduces the risk of developing intergenerational mental illnesses.
Program Lead Emma said they had seen a significant improvement in participants emotional resilience and ability to cope with stress, which is a testament to the positive impact of the program.
“I have now met young people who, from the short time they have been with us, how they went from not wanting to be away from their parents and being visibly upset, to the last activity day telling mum to “leave already” as she had lots of fun at our BBQ,” Emma said.
Recently, WA Kookaburra Kids hosted 24 young people at Caversham Wildlife Park for a day of joy, camaraderie, and resilience-building. Participants made new friends while interacting with koalas, wombats, and kangaroos—an experience that left a lasting impression.
One mother noted, “What an amazing day you created for these young people. My son struggles so much with confidence, and gets bullied at school because of his stutter and learning disabilities. His anxiety got the better of him the night before and he became reluctant to go, but I am so glad we were able to work through that and he worked up the courage to go because I haven’t seen him so happy in a while. He loved the staff, the volunteers and even said he had made some really nice new friends.
Thanks to Telethon’s support, Kookaburra Kids can empower young people to thrive beyond the impacts of family mental illness.
To refer a young person to be eligible to take part in the Kookaburra Kids programs, please visit their website: https://kookaburrakids.org.au/get-involved/refer/