Walking Together:
Supporting the health and wellbeing of indigenous children
Keeping kids connected to school and community
In Mullewa, where school attendance rates are among the lowest in WA, Telethon support is helping the JK Foundation (JKF) to walk alongside families facing deep disadvantage, conflict, poverty, disrupted housing, and intergenerational trauma.
By embedding a youth worker directly into the school and community 60% of participating boys improved attendance to school. For boys like Richard, whose family moved often and struggled with continuity, JKF’s steady presence changed the story. Through home visits, after-school footy, holiday camps and genuine connection, Richard's attendance jumped from 25% to 80%.
This is grassroots early intervention that keeps boys connected, valued and part of their community, and it happens because Telethon supporters made it possible.
Walking Together: Supporting the health and wellbeing of indigenous children
Keeping kids connected to school and community
In Mullewa, where school attendance rates are among the lowest in WA, Telethon support is helping the JK Foundation (JKF) to walk alongside families facing deep disadvantage, conflict, poverty, disrupted housing, and intergenerational trauma.
By embedding a youth worker directly into the school and community 60% of participating boys improved attendance to school. For boys like Richard, whose family moved often and struggled with continuity, JKF’s steady presence changed the story. Through home visits, after-school footy, holiday camps and genuine connection, Richard's attendance jumped from 25% to 80%.
This is grassroots early intervention that keeps boys connected, valued and part of their community, and it happens because Telethon supporters made it possible.
Turning sports carnivals into health gateways
Binar Health Embassies in Broome and Port Hedland turned sporting events into fun, stigma-free health hubs. 22 allied health volunteers provided over 1,500 volunteer hours supporting 567 participants. As children moved through health stations like a game - completing a passport to earn a special basketball jersey.
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Behind the fun was real impact including more than 100 health referrals. A 13-year-old participant said: “It was like going to the doctor, but fun. Because it was in a place I already love, it didn’t feel scary.” For some families, these were the first health checks their children had ever received.
Reducing pain and fear during medical procedures
For children in Derby and Broome who require painful Bicillin injections every 28 days, to prevent Rheumatic fever recurrence, specialist equipment like VR Smileyscope and Buzzy Bees make HeartKids appointments faster, calmer and less distressing. 768 HeartKids were supported on country.
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One eight-year-old said: “It felt like the test went super fast. Can I do the ocean game again next time?” and 5-year-old heart patient said “I forgot to be scared. The penguins were so funny!”
Bringing accessible health service closer to home
For many indigenous families in Perth, and for those travelling from regional and remote communities, the journey to specialist ear care is long, stressful and filled with uncertainty. Missed school days, long waitlists, and the cost and disruption of travelling to metropolitan hospitals can all stand between a child and the treatment they urgently need.
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Thanks to your generosity, the Cockburn Aboriginal Ear Health Program is changing that.
Over the year:
699 ENT appointments gave children answers and pathways forward.
149 surgeries restored hearing, reduced pain, and helped prevent long-term developmental delays.
Clinics ran across multiple locations, reaching families from more than 119 locations.
One mother shared that before attending the clinic, her son had fallen behind at school, unable to hear his teacher clearly. After treatment, he re-engaged, answering questions, joining in group work, and smiling again. “It felt like we got our boy back,” she said.
Turning sports carnivals into health gateways
Binar Health Embassies in Broome and Port Hedland turned sporting events into fun, stigma-free health hubs. 22 allied health volunteers provided over 1,500 volunteer hours supporting 567 participants. As children moved through health stations like a game - completing a passport to earn a special basketball jersey.
READ MORE
Behind the fun was real impact including more than 100 health referrals. A 13-year-old participant said: “It was like going to the doctor, but fun. Because it was in a place I already love, it didn’t feel scary.” For some families, these were the first health checks their children had ever received.
Reducing pain and fear during medical procedures
For children in Derby and Broome who require painful Bicillin injections every 28 days, to prevent Rheumatic fever recurrence, specialist equipment like VR Smileyscope and Buzzy Bees make HeartKids appointments faster, calmer and less distressing. 768 HeartKids were supported on country.
READ MORE
One eight-year-old said: “It felt like the test went super fast. Can I do the ocean game again next time?” and 5-year-old heart patient said “I forgot to be scared. The penguins were so funny!”
Bringing accessible health service closer to home
For many indigenous families in Perth, and for those travelling from regional and remote communities, the journey to specialist ear care is long, stressful and filled with uncertainty. Missed school days, long waitlists, and the cost and disruption of travelling to metropolitan hospitals can all stand between a child and the treatment they urgently need.
READ MORE
Thanks to your generosity, the Cockburn Aboriginal Ear Health Program is changing that.
Over the year:
699 ENT appointments gave children answers and pathways forward.
149 surgeries restored hearing, reduced pain, and helped prevent long-term developmental delays.
Clinics ran across multiple locations, reaching families from more than 119 locations.
One mother shared that before attending the clinic, her son had fallen behind at school, unable to hear his teacher clearly. After treatment, he re-engaged, answering questions, joining in group work, and smiling again. “It felt like we got our boy back,” she said.
Giving kids a Fair Game
Fair Game is turning pre-loved sporting equipment into new opportunities for kids who need it most. By removing barriers to sport and play, they’re helping children build healthier, more active futures.
Giving kids a Fair Game
Fair Game is turning pre-loved sporting equipment into new opportunities for kids who need it most. By removing barriers to sport and play, they’re helping children build healthier, more active futures.
Powering early
intervention across WA
From uncertainty to confidence
The first five years are crucial for healthy child development. Brains and bodies develop at astonishing speed and early support can change a child’s future trajectory.
At TSH (Teach, Speak, Hear), the Pathways to Success program combines hearing screening, audiology, speech pathology, and occupational therapy, giving children fast diagnosis and family‑centred therapy.
For siblings Jack and Isabella, both experiencing speech delays, the impact was transformative. What began as fear and uncertainty gave way to confidence, with their mum saying early support “changed the trajectory of our children’s lives.”
The structured Talkabout environment, personalised guidance from educators, and peer‑supported learning helped both children build communication skills, strengthen their sibling bond, and gave their family hope and practical tools to reach new milestones.
Powering early
intervention
across WA
From uncertainty to confidence
The first five years are crucial for healthy child development. Brains and bodies develop at astonishing speed and early support can change a child’s future trajectory.
At TSH (Teach, Speak, Hear), the Pathways to Success program combines hearing screening, audiology, speech pathology, and occupational therapy, giving children fast diagnosis and family‑centred therapy.
For siblings Jack and Isabella, both experiencing speech delays, the impact was transformative. What began as fear and uncertainty gave way to confidence, with their mum saying early support “changed the trajectory of our children’s lives.”
The structured Talkabout environment, personalised guidance from educators, and peer‑supported learning helped both children build communication skills, strengthen their sibling bond, and gave their family hope and practical tools to reach new milestones.
Enhancing early senses
SensesWA’s New Buds program reaches children with early signs of hearing or vision impairment, 65% of whom live in regional WA where services are hardest to access. By acting early, New Buds helps children meet developmental milestones that may otherwise have been out of reach.
Early intervention matters
Rocky Bay’s Early Start Intervention Program (ESIP) ensures children showing signs of rare disease receive multidisciplinary therapy, even before a diagnosis is confirmed. In 2025, 79 children were supported who otherwise would have waited months or years before accessing help. Complementary to these programs, specialised equipment can accelerate a child’s progress.
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When four-year-old Hailey was diagnosed with the rare neurodevelopmental disorder KAT6A syndrome, with only about 600 cases worldwide, her mum Kathryn feared she might never walk or speak.
Through ESIP, Hailey began physiotherapy and speech therapy, taking her first steps within a month and saying her first word a few months later — milestones her family once thought might never happen.
Enhancing early senses
SensesWA’s New Buds program reaches children with early signs of hearing or vision impairment, 65% of whom live in regional WA where services are hardest to access. By acting early, New Buds helps children meet developmental milestones that may otherwise have been out of reach.
Early intervention matters
Rocky Bay’s Early Start Intervention Program (ESIP) ensures children showing signs of rare disease receive multidisciplinary therapy, even before a diagnosis is confirmed. In 2025, 79 children were supported who otherwise would have waited months or years before accessing help. Complementary to these programs, specialised equipment can accelerate a child’s progress.
READ MORE
When four-year-old Hailey was diagnosed with the rare neurodevelopmental disorder KAT6A syndrome, with only about 600 cases worldwide, her mum Kathryn feared she might never walk or speak.
Through ESIP, Hailey began physiotherapy and speech therapy, taking her first steps within a month and saying her first word a few months later — milestones her family once thought might never happen.
Therapy beyond four walls
Children who require therapy no longer need to be indoors, thanks to Telethon beneficiary HorsePower Hills, where horse-assisted therapy helps children with developmental delays and physical disabilities connect, move, and spend time in nature.
River was born with a spinal cord injury that left him a quadriplegic. When he began hippotherapy at HorsePower Hills, he was nervous about riding a horse. Eighteen months later, his confidence, core strength, and balance have improved dramatically.
Before starting the program, River had significant scoliosis and often complained of back pain. After just four months of hippotherapy sessions, an X-ray showed his spine had improved so much it was almost completely normal. River now looks forward to his weekly rides, gaining strength, independence, and joy through the special bond he’s formed with the ponies.
Helping Charlie explore the world
Charlie lives with a rare genetic condition affecting only around 150 people worldwide. With the support of Telethon beneficiaries, he now has access to therapy and equipment helping him explore the world in his own way.
A brighter future for Aurora
Aurora was born with a rare condition affecting her vision and mobility, bringing uncertainty for her family. Through early therapy and support, she’s building strength and confidence, making meaningful progress and achieving milestones that once felt out of reach.
Finding strength in the saddle
After a challenging start to life, Charlie is growing stronger and more independent every day. Therapeutic horse riding is helping him build confidence, strength and a sense of pride in what he can do.
Helping Charlie
explore the world
Charlie lives with a rare genetic condition affecting only around 150 people worldwide. With the support of Telethon beneficiaries, he now has access to therapy and equipment helping him explore the world in his own way.
A brighter future
for Aurora
Aurora was born with a rare condition affecting her vision and mobility, bringing uncertainty for her family. Through early therapy and support, she’s building strength and confidence, making meaningful progress and achieving milestones that once felt out of reach.
Finding strength
in the saddle
After a challenging start to life, Charlie is growing stronger and more independent every day. Therapeutic horse riding is helping him build confidence, strength and a sense of pride in what he can do.
Beacons of hope
"I felt invisible": Jorden's story
At just 15, Jorden has already lived through more instability than many adults.
Growing up with ADHD and autism, his childhood was shaped by financial stress, unsafe housing conditions and constant uncertainty. As money tightened and tensions rose at home, the fragile supports around him collapsed.
One night, Jorden walked out the door with nowhere to go. For months, he slept rough, couch to couch, sometimes in parks, often hungry, always alone.
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“At my lowest I felt invisible. I felt worthless, like no one cared about me.” – Jorden
12 Buckets reached Jorden at exactly the right moment, offering mentoring, structure and people who believed in him long before he could believe in himself. Through small, steady acts of support, Jorden found his footing. He is reconnecting with school, rebuilding trust, and imagining a different future.
Telethon supporters helped ensure Jorden was not another young person lost to hardship, but a young person pulled back into safety, community and possibility.
Beacons of hope
"I felt invisible": Jorden's story
At just 15, Jorden has already lived through more instability than many adults.
Growing up with ADHD and autism, his childhood was shaped by financial stress, unsafe housing conditions and constant uncertainty. As money tightened and tensions rose at home, the fragile supports around him collapsed.
One night, Jorden walked out the door with nowhere to go. For months, he slept rough, couch to couch, sometimes in parks, often hungry, always alone.
READ MORE
“At my lowest I felt invisible. I felt worthless, like no one cared about me.” – Jorden
12 Buckets reached Jorden at exactly the right moment, offering mentoring, structure and people who believed in him long before he could believe in himself. Through small, steady acts of support, Jorden found his footing. He is reconnecting with school, rebuilding trust, and imagining a different future.
Telethon supporters helped ensure Jorden was not another young person lost to hardship, but a young person pulled back into safety, community and possibility.
Backpacks of kindness:
Liam’s story
For many WA families, food insecurity is no longer a crisis, it is a weekly reality. Liam, a quiet Year 4 student, arrived at school every Monday exhausted, withdrawn and complaining of stomach cramps. His teacher noticed a pattern that Mondays were always the hardest. When the school chaplain reached out to his mum, the truth emerged.
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Weekends were unbearable. By Sunday afternoon, the pantry was usually empty. Liam often pretended he wasn’t hungry so his younger siblings could eat.
With support from Bridge Builders, Liam discreetly received a backpack filled with nutritious food each Friday. The change was immediate. His teacher saw more energy, more smiles, more confidence. At home, the emotional temperature shifted.
“It gave me breathing space. I could pay the power bill without choosing between that and groceries. I’m not skipping meals any more, and the kids don’t see me stressed all the time.” – Liam’s mother
For Liam, the biggest change was simple: “I don’t feel worried about the weekend any more.”
Helping young lives heal
At just 13 years old, Sarah has lived through more instability and trauma than many adults will face in a lifetime. As a victim-survivor of continued Family and Domestic Violence she carried the emotional weight of fear, uncertainty, and a disrupted childhood.
READ MORE
Luma’s Mindful Nest program has provided Sarah with a space to heal. Here, trauma-informed art therapy gave her a consistent space to explore difficult emotions, build trust, and slowly rediscover who she was beneath the layers of survival.
And yet, Sarah’s story is heartbreakingly common. WA recorded over 42,000 police-reported FDV offences, the highest in a decade. Behind each statistic is a child like Sarah, waiting for someone to say, “You are safe now.” Because of you, more than 50 young people accessed Mindful Nest in 2025, many showing renewed emotional regulation, better school engagement, and a spark of hope returning to their lives.
Backpacks
of kindness:
Liam’s story
For many WA families, food insecurity is no longer a crisis, it is a weekly reality. Liam, a quiet Year 4 student, arrived at school every Monday exhausted, withdrawn and complaining of stomach cramps. His teacher noticed a pattern Mondays were always the hardest. When the school chaplain reached out to his mum, the truth emerged.
READ MORE
Weekends were unbearable. By Sunday afternoon, the pantry was usually empty. Liam often pretended he wasn’t hungry so his younger siblings could eat.
With support from Bridge Builders, Liam discreetly received a backpack filled with nutritious food each Friday. The change was immediate. His teacher saw more energy, more smiles, more confidence. At home, the emotional temperature shifted.
“It gave me breathing space. I could pay the power bill without choosing between that and groceries. I’m not skipping meals any more, and the kids don’t see me stressed all the time.” – Liam’s mother
For Liam, the biggest change was simple: “I don’t feel worried about the weekend any more.”
Helping young
lives heal
At just 13 years old, Sarah has lived through more instability and trauma than many adults will face in a lifetime. As a victim-survivor of continued Family and Domestic Violence she carried the emotional weight of fear, uncertainty, and a disrupted childhood.
READ MORE
Luma’s Mindful Nest program has provided Sarah with a space to heal. Here, trauma-informed art therapy gave her a consistent space to explore difficult emotions, build trust, and slowly rediscover who she was beneath the layers of survival.
And yet, Sarah’s story is heartbreakingly common. WA recorded over 42,000 police-reported FDV offences, the highest in a decade. Behind each statistic is a child like Sarah, waiting for someone to say, “You are safe now.” Because of you, more than 50 young people accessed Mindful Nest in 2025, many showing renewed emotional regulation, better school engagement, and a spark of hope returning to their lives.
Equipping students for success
Dandelions WA is helping children start the school year with confidence by providing backpacks filled with essential supplies. For students experiencing disadvantage, it means walking into the classroom feeling prepared, included and ready to learn.
Equipping students
for success
Dandelions WA is helping children start the school year with confidence by providing backpacks filled with essential supplies. For students experiencing disadvantage, it means walking into the classroom feeling prepared, included and ready to learn.
When trauma is deep
your support reaches deeper
At The Salvation Army, a dedicated Children’s Counsellor supported 53 children through 935 specialised interventions, each one tailored to a child living with the long-shadowed impacts of FDV.
READ MORE
This early intervention protects children from long-term harm. It interrupts cycles of distress, and it helps young people understand that what happened to them is not their fault.
Your support gave these children the chance to feel seen and held during one of the darkest chapters of their lives.
Healing in the Wheatbelt:
A lifeline where none existed
In regional WA, isolation magnifies trauma. But thanks to your generosity, Uplyft’s (formerly known as Wanslea) BESTIES Program is teaching vulnerable Wheatbelt children they’re not alone.
READ MORE
Factors including family trauma, challenging behaviours, financial stress, and neurodivergence can lead to long-lasting mental health concerns if left unaddressed. Across 2025, 69 workshops delivered to 17 children supported healthy expression of emotion, the development of coping strategies, and the forming of friendships, helping shift the dial for children who otherwise may have been left behind or isolated from their peers.
As one Program Coordinator shared, “This funding enabled the delivery of a unique and much-needed program… one that simply did not exist in the community prior to this grant.”
Now, thanks to your gift, regional children and young people who have felt ostracised and alone now have a place to come together and truly be themselves and thrive.
When trauma is deep
your support reaches deeper
At The Salvation Army, a dedicated Children’s Counsellor supported 53 children through 935 specialised interventions, each one tailored to a child living with the long-shadowed impacts of FDV.
READ MORE
This early intervention protects children from long-term harm. It interrupts cycles of distress, and it helps young people understand that what happened to them is not their fault.
Your support gave these children the chance to feel seen and held during one of the darkest chapters of their lives.
Healing in the Wheatbelt:
A lifeline where none existed
In regional WA, isolation magnifies trauma. But thanks to your generosity, Uplyft’s (formerly known as Wanslea) BESTIES Program is teaching vulnerable Wheatbelt children they’re not alone.
READ MORE
Factors including family trauma, challenging behaviours, financial stress, and neurodivergence can lead to long-lasting mental health concerns if left unaddressed. Across 2025, 69 workshops delivered to 17 children supported healthy expression of emotion, the development of coping strategies, and the forming of friendships, helping shift the dial for children who otherwise may have been left behind or isolated from their peers.
As one Program Coordinator shared, “This funding enabled the delivery of a unique and much-needed program… one that simply did not exist in the community prior to this grant.”
Now, thanks to your gift, regional children and young people who have felt ostracised and alone now have a place to come together and truly be themselves and thrive.
Find out more about Telethon's impact on the WA community
If you would like to learn more about Telethon and how you can get involved, please contact the Telethon Team.
Channel 7 Telethon Trust
50 Hasler Road, Osborne Park WA 6017
PO Box 1777, DC Osborne Park WA 6916
(08) 9482 3974 – telethonoffice@telethon7.com
Acknowledgement of Country
Telethon acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Western Australia and pays respect to Elders past and present. We recognise the significant importance of their cultural heritage, values and beliefs and how these contribute to the positive health and wellbeing of the whole community.
This content was prepared for digital by MINT,
the commercial content studio for Seven West Media.
If you would like to learn more about Telethon and how you can get involved, please contact the Telethon Team.
Channel 7 Telethon Trust
50 Hasler Road, Osborne Park WA 6017
PO Box 1777, DC Osborne Park WA 6916
(08) 9482 3974 – telethonoffice@telethon7.com
Acknowledgement of Country
Telethon acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Western Australia and pays respect to Elders past and present. We recognise the significant importance of their cultural heritage, values and beliefs and how these contribute to the positive health and wellbeing of the whole community.
This content was prepared for digital by MINT,
the commercial content studio for Seven West Media.