22 June, 2018.
A new equipment library unveiled by Firstchance will support 450 children in the Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, and Port Stephens areas.
The Building Blocks Resource Library was fully funded by a $39,000 grant from Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation and will help families with children up to the age of nine with a disability.
The resource library means families can now borrow expensive therapeutic equipment to enable parents to continue supportive therapy with their children at home.
Firstchance General Manger, Darleen Taylor said the Building Blocks Resource Library provides additional support to families through the extension of learning and development opportunities outside of the clinical environment.
Research shows that practicing skills in an environment where children feel safe, such as at home with their family, leads to sustainable outcomes for the child and family,” Darleen said.
This Building Blocks equipment library means that parents can take home the expensive therapeutic equipment recommended by therapists which is essential to enhancing the skill development of the child, and continue to provide the structured, yet play-based education at home.
In the safe family home environment, parents and children can play, interact, and continue the structured education program at home, reinforcing to the child what they’ve learned in therapy. This in turn allows the child to participate in daily routines and have meaningful interactions with those around them, strengthening the child’s and family’s sense of belonging,” Darleen said.