Noah's Ark in Kalgoorlie

Noah’s Ark is committed to making its services available to regional and rural WA through our Mobile Service, Toy Library and other programs. As part of our commitment, we have established a Toy Library in Kalgoorlie for children with special needs, their families and therapists in the town and surrounding regional areas.

The Kalgoorlie Library was made possible through funding from Variety and Cliffs Natural Resources has pledged its ongoing financial support for the for next three years.

In 2008, we also established a supported playgroup for children and young people with special needs and their families in Kalgoorlie where parents can meet and learn together about the valuable role of play in their child’s development.

Parent and Playgroups

In partnership with public and private therapy services, the playgroup offers parents:

a safe place to identify and consider local service provider options
help in finding their way through the issues that they may face in having a child
with a developmental delay or disability
opportunities to play with their child in a supported setting, using Noah’s Ark’s specialised resources.

Benefits of Playgroups

Our Kalgoorlie playgroups offer wide-ranging benefits:

an environment where children and families can meet and socialise with other people in similar circumstances
a relaxed environment where occupational therapists and speech pathologists can meet with families to discuss options for providing services, while providing on-the-spot professional services to children and advice to parents.
physiotherapists and other professionals can become involved if requested by the families in the group.
opportunities for parents and carers to learn from professionals to encourage play, understand their children’s cues and follow the child’s lead in play. They also learn about activities for different ages and stages of development
a meeting place where families and service providers can discuss formal therapy programs, and practise strategies and therapy techniques
an opportunity to prepare children for school by exposing them to social situations where they can learn and practise the skills they will need to successfully attend school
an informal environment where professionals can observe and work with parents, and assist them to reflect on their child’s and their own activities in play scenarios
the opportunity for special activities which allow children to interact with their peers while learning to socialise and share
a supported learning opportunity for all children with special needs, regardless of their disability status (i.e. whether physical, intellectual or other). This is particularly important for those children and families who may fall through the gaps in the government ‘system’
opportunities for children, families and carers to form friendships and networks in their local community.

Information Sessions

To complement the playgroup program, we provide information sessions for families and carers that address topics as requested by parents. The workshops help to build skills and confidence by familiarising participants with child development and the services that are available in the community to support their family.

This contributes to the development of mutually beneficial relationships that can help overcome the sense of social and physical isolation often associated with parenting a child with a disability, especially in a regional area.

Erin...

Erin Bond, Allied Health Manager, Goldfields had this to say about Noah’s Ark:

“We have been working in partnership with Noah’s Ark Toy Library for almost 12 months and during this time, a variety of initiatives have been trialled and evaluated, with excellent results. Parents have been able to seek localised support from group participants. These support structures are vital in a community with a large transient population and a lack of family support. Following their participation in the playgroups, families are more able to cope with the diagnosis and feel more supported.”

Erin also said that the families and agencies involved in the program are keen for it to continue to grow and have provided firm commitments toward this.

The Allied Health Team sits within the Department of Health, WA Country Health Service, Goldfields region.

Photos of other Kalgoorlie parents to come from Linda – following comments to accompany pics as testimonials:

Kylie…

Kylie and her family were seriously considering leaving Kalgoorlie to move to Perth where more services are available to support her daughter. The Noah’s Ark program now means Kylie and her family can stay in Kalgoorlie.

“Noah’s Ark provides a great opportunity for my daughter Ellie [4] to be around other children with special needs. To be in an environment where there is much more understanding about Ellie’s behaviour, and that has support and services available, has been fantastic.”

Jo…

Jo is also grateful for Noah’s Ark’s support. Her four-year-old daughter Megan has been diagnosed with autism and her older son Daniel (19) also has the condition. Jo says:

“We are quite isolated in terms of family support in Kalgoorlie, so having the support and networks associated with Noah’s Ark is a huge benefit.”

Jo said Noah’s Ark was a major help to her with therapy, information about specialists and the toys specially modified for children with special needs.

Leona…

Leona’s son Josh now takes part in craft activities with other children. He makes his own morning tea and enjoys doing things other young children do. She says he is also learning how to share.