Gold Coast mayor visits Wesley Kids

Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate visited Wesley Kids last week to learn more about the important work the service is doing on the Gold Coast.

Wesley Kids is Wesley Mission Queensland’s child-centred child and family mental health service model incorporating all our children’s mental health programs (children from birth to 12 years).

It includes grief and loss programs formerly delivered by Paradise Kids on the Gold Coast which Mayor Tate has supported for many years. This visit provided an opportunity to talk about the expanded services Wesley Kids now offers, as well as future plans.

Wesley Kids is much needed in the region with statistics from the 2020 Gold Coast Primary Health Network (GCPHN) revealing almost 15,000 Gold Coast children and youth experienced a mental disorder in the previous 12 months. It also identified challenges for parents to access services for younger children, particularly primary school aged children and those on the northern side of the gold coast. These are challenges Wesley Kids is well placed to address through its experienced staff and evidence-based programs.

Wesley Kids will operate throughout South East Queensland, including within some of Wesley Mission Queensland’s existing programs, to provide child-friendly hubs and programs where families can access holistic support that is evidence-based, trauma informed and inclusive of the whole family.