Lauga opens first Child and Family Health Clinic at Stockland Rockhampton

Back from left: Child Health Nurse Brooke Philips, Director of Nursing and Midwifery, Family Women and Children Mellissa Knox, Child Health Nurse Julie Hopkins, Josh Donovan from Youth Justice, District Crime Prevention Coordinator Senior Sergeant Ashley Hull, Mario Viti from Darumbal Community Youth Services, Wal Taylor from Every Child CQ, Health Worker Ieshia Fuller, Maxine Brushe from Every Child CQ; Sitting: Nurse Unit Manager Community Child and Family Health Service Christine Young, Susie Cameron from Every Child CQ, Member for Keppel Brittany Lauga, Elysia Billingham from Stockland Rockhampton, Christine Stevens from SAFE Communities Police Citizens Youth Club, and Friederike McCartney from CQ Youth Connect

Keppel MP and Assistant Minister for Education Brittany Lauga has opened the first Child and Family Health Clinic at ‘Our Place’ Stockland on the 16th of January 2020.

“When I was a young mother with a small baby I found Stockland a great place to be, so I was delighted when I was asked to open the first Child and Family Health Clinic. The way Every Child CQ, the Community Police Board and Stockland Rockhampton have worked as a collective to provide this dedicated space is something we can all be proud of” Ms Lauga said.

“The fact that it has grown out of the work of the Community Police Board really demonstrates that if government works hand-in-hand with community and business, we can together find new approaches that positively impact underlying needs in our communities.”

‘Our Place’ is an initiative of Every Child Central Queensland Inc., the Rockhampton Community Police Board and Stockland and provides a dedicated space in Stockland Rockhampton, where community can access services and services can engage with community.

Coordinator for Every Child CQ Susie Cameron explained that “a range of services and activities are being run out of Our Place with Every Child CQ the lead agency for the Management Committee which includes Stockland Rockhampton, Darumbal Youth Services, Queensland Police Service (QPS), PCYC, Central Queensland Hospital & Health Service (CQHHS), Education Queensland and Qld Dept of Youth Justice.”

Ashley Hull from the QPS stated “the Community Policing Board which is made up of several agencies has done some good work with Stockland Rockhampton over the last couple of years and this success has helped bring us here today”.

“Everyone involved in this initiative want the community to feel that this is their space” said Christine Stevens from the PCYC.

“The CQHHS are very pleased to be able to bring their Child and Family Health Clinic to Stockland Rockhampton and to be a part of a collective way of supporting community. The clinic will run every Thursday from 9am to 3pm providing a drop-in service for well-babies and children 0-8yrs. The Child Health Nurse can monitor children’s growth, development and behaviours and support parents on the parenting journey” said Christine Young the Nurse Unit Manager for Child and Maternal Health, CQHHS.

The official launch for Our Place is being organised for the 28th of February 2020, and will include the announcement of a competition to design a logo for Our Place.

For more information about Our Place please email coordinator@everychildcq.org.

 

We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of this country and recognise their connection to land, wind, water and community. We pay our respect to them, their cultures, and to the Elders both past and present.