Wesley Kids is a child and family mental health service that supports children who have experienced trauma and/or grief and helps them to process their experiences and their very big feelings in order to have the best chance to make their childhood a happy and healthy one. In clinical terms, Wesley Kids provides wrap-around support that is strengths-based, trauma informed and inclusive of the whole family. The need for this service is huge, and it’s getting even bigger - our waitlist of families who need support grows bigger everyday. We need your help to make sure every child has the opportunity to live a happy, healthy childhood.
That statistic might shock you, but it is all too real. The most common disorder in children is ADHD, followed by anxiety, depression and conduct disorder. Anxiety is a common condition affecting people of all ages; in Australia, 1 in 14 children and young people (4 -17 years) experience an anxiety disorder (source: https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/kids-mental-health).
Mental health problems in childhood can have a huge impact on wellbeing. In addition, there is strong evidence that mental disorders in childhood and adolescence predict mental illness in adulthood (WHO 2014b; Lahey 2015; NMHC 2019a).
But here is where we can make a difference: childhood presents the greatest opportunity for intervention. We know that investing in prevention and early intervention gives children the best opportunity for good mental health and wellbeing. For high risk groups, such as children affected by violence, abuse, maltreatment or poverty, early intervention can help reduce disparities between their mental health and the mental health of children in psychologically healthy environments (NMHC 2019a).
Using a best-practice, clinical model, Wesley Kids supports children and their families with one-on-one and group counselling, play-based therapy, family therapy, grief and loss groups, and parenting programs. Our warm and welcoming environment creates a safe space for children, who are often dealing with the loss of a parent, sibling or grandparent, instances of domestic violence, grave (or terminal) illnesses within the family, and more.
The statistic above is concerning, and that’s why we’re working hard to make things better for children who are suffering – but the overwhelming number of calls we're receiving for help grows everyday, and we need your help! With your incredible fundraising efforts, we will be able to provide more placements for children in our grief and loss groups, supply more activity resources for children to experience play-based therapy, support more families to heal and connect through family counseling, and build more creative spaces for children to express themselves in safe and healthy ways.
Visit to WMQ website to find out more about Wesley Kids.
