Flying high for early childhood
WHEN Gemma Lavelle looked around Jubilee Oval last Sunday there were kids and kites as far as the eye could see.
She’s the centre manager at Gowrie’s Dubbo Early Education and Care Centre and is one of the organisers of the annual Kites for Kids day. She said it’s all about raising awareness of just how important it is to ensure that kids who are struggling are given assistance as early as possible.
Ms Lavelle said it’s an incredible privilege to see how young kids who are struggling can be lifted up thanks to intervention, assistance and care from people who understand what they need.
“It’s everything, it’s why we do what we do, and just to know that you’re helping any child in any small way, yeah, that’s why we’re here,” Ms Lavelle said.
She describes early intervention services as “just a little bit of extra support for families”.
“It might just be a couple of appointments, it might be an assessment done on speech, or occupational therapy, it might be some help with some psychological appointments – it just means that they’re helped, that their next 18 years of school become a little bit easier.”
Ms Lavelle also emphasised the importance of preventing kids who are struggling developmentally from falling through the cracks and missing out on help prior to entering school.
“It’s really important for us to help as many children as we can before they get into that space because it does become much more of a challenge when they get into schools, to help them and get that extra support at that stage,” she explained.
Kites for Kids has been run in Dubbo for over 20 years. It was originally started by Orana Early Intervention and has progressed through different organisations.
“It’s a day we just want to continue because, as you can see, the crowd turns up,” Ms Lavelle told
Other local groups support the event including the PCYC, NDIS and Mission Australia.
“Kite Flyers Australia is a volunteer group from all over NSW, they’re here flying some of their big kites and stunt kites,” she said.
Catherine Gowans has worked in the early education space and was letting two-year-old son Michael scratch around in the grass and check out the massive show kites.
“It’s a great day for kids,” she said, pointing out that the importance of early intervention needs to be publicised as much as possible.
“Definitely, because you don’t want them to end up with bigger
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issues later on just because they didn’t get the right help early on,” Mrs Gowans said.
David Horan’s a local who also happens to be president of the Australian Kite Flyers’ Society. He was mending a vintage kite, carrying on several conversations and flying some giant kites all at the same time when Dubbo Photo
caught up with him. “We enjoy coming here every year and flying the kites for the kids,” Mr Horan said.
“Kite flying can be as exciting as you like, I mean, look at all the kite surfers, they have a ball. We’ve got kite buggies, they do the same thing except on land, but then it can be as relaxing as you like – there’s a chap up there just lying on his back looking at all the kites up in the sky.
“It’s a great community event,” he said.