AS children across Australia begin a new school year, Kids Helpline is reminding families to keep an eye on their children’s wellbeing at what can be an anxious and stressful time.
“It’s not surprising that heading back to school or the important step of starting school for the first time can be an anxious time for children,” said yourtown chief executive office Tracy Adams.
“To help make things a little easier not only at the beginning of the new school year, but also through the year, schools are encouraged to tap into the free Kids Helpline @ School program supported by Bupa Foundation.”
Kids Helpline @ School, one of yourtown’s service offerings, strengthens the reach of Kids Helpline by providing evidence-informed learning to support the social and emotional wellbeing of children when at school with topics such as bullying, resilience, friendships and student wellbeing. Kids Helpline @ School supports primary school students’ mental health literacy, normalisation of help-seeking behaviours, and promotion of positive health and wellbeing.
Made possible thanks to the support of Bupa Foundation, it uses digital technology to link Kids Helpline professional counsellors with students and their teachers in interactive education sessions.
“We’re fortunate that Bupa Foundation has partnered with Kids Helpline to support our primary school-based program, aimed at intervening and preventing mental health and other wellbeing issues for children from a young age. We know that mental health challenges often begin during childhood, and if left unattended they can lead to poor outcomes in adulthood,” Ms Adams said.
“Over the last two years there has been a surge in popularity of this innovative school-based program which has supported over 100,000 primary school students in this time. We’re looking forward to continuing that at this time of year as school is about to commence again.
“Teachers can connect their classroom to a Kids Helpline counsellor free of charge simply by booking a session at kidshelpline.com.au/schools/primary for a session that is both educational and interactive in a fun, engaging environment.
“Kids Helpline has an established reputation as a first point of contact for children and young people who need counselling support. Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, children are able to choose telephone, WebChat or email counselling when they need to connect.
“Kids Helpline @ School offers early intervention and prevention sessions for primary schools in Australia to further support the wellbeing of students.”
Being available 24/7 means that Kids Helpline is always open for business and always available to provide services while other services close for the day, or weekend.
Bupa Australia’s chief sustainability and corporate affairs officer, Roger Sharp, said supporting the mental health of young people has never been more important.
“Through the Bupa Foundation, we are committed to investing in innovative programs that support the mental health of children and young people who have faced incredible challenges to their physical and mental wellbeing in recent times, particularly in relation to the ongoing impacts of COVID-19,” he said.
