For children with a disability and their families

All disability support programs are designed to meet the needs of families who care for a child or young person with a disability. All staff and volunteers are qualified or trained in disability support, and are committed to their clients. All programs are funded by the Department of Human Services and Community Connections.

Our Disability Services fall into three main categories:

Respite Care

Interchange Recreation and Leisuretime Activities

Case Management and Brokerage Services

Interchange

Interchange provides information, respite and social support to families who have a child or young person with a disability. The program offers young people the opportunity to enhance their social and emotional wellbeing through a range of activities, some of which also cater to siblings.

The Host Program

The Host Program matches a volunteer with a child with a disability, and then coordinates regular visits for that child to the volunteer’s home.

The Buddy Program

The Buddy Program teams a volunteer with a disabled child in a formal setting such as a special development school. Volunteers provide extra support and attention on a one-on-one basis for a few hours a week.

In-Home Care

In-Home Care provides respite by trained carers in the family home for a few hours a day or overnight.

RAPT (Respite and Part Time Care)

The RAPT team arrange flexible regular respite and short-term placements with carer families or in facility-based respite for children with a disability and with high support needs.

Facility-based Respite – Puddle Jump House

Puddle Jump House is a purpose built, fully equipped residential care facility for children aged 5-18 years and who have a disability. It is located in Warrnambool, and caters to the residents of the Camperdown and Warrnambool areas.

Puddle Jump House is currently open every day, and is staffed by fully-trained residential care workers who work on the high staff to child ratio of one staff member to every three children.

Puddle Jump House provides a positive experience for the child in care. With the provision of planned regular respite, Puddle Jump House offers support and ongoing maintenance towards a family’s ability to fulfil their role as primary caregivers.

Please note that there may be a waiting list and that priority is given to children with severe or multiple disabilities.

Interchange Recreation & Leisure Activities:   

The Mates Program

The Mates Program arranges for volunteers to take a child with a disability on regular day-time outings. There are no overnight stays.

The Recreation Program

The Recreation Program runs group activities, holiday programs and camps for disabled children and their siblings, staffed by Community Connections employees and volunteers.

The School Holiday Program

The School Holiday Program offers planned activities in group settings. Art, craft, sporting activities, day trips and group outings are held in each school holiday period.

Youth Groups (Ages 12-18)

Youth Groups hold fully-supervised regular Saturday afternoon activities involving art, craft and sporting activities as part of accessing and enjoying community life.

Case Management and Brokerage Services:

Making a Difference

The Making a Difference program assists families to continue care for their children with moderate to severe disabilities at home by providing a flexible range of services that meet the family’s additional support needs.

Making a Difference staff assist with personal support, information provision, advocacy, arranging additional services and support, helping with the purchase of equipment and supplies, etc.

The key aim is to enhance family decision-making by having Case Managers work in partnership with the family to develop plans for future care. Referral to this program is for children aged between five and eighteen years. Assistance can be provided on either a short or long-term basis.

Family Options

Family Options operates on the philosophy that family-based care is the most desirable long-term living arrangement for children with disabilities. So when a child or young person with a disability is no longer able to be cared for full-time by his or her own family, Family Options arranges suitable long-term ongoing family-based placements.

Wherever possible, the caring roles of both the birth family and the carer family are negotiated to suit individual situations. Family Options case planning aims to promote the child’s development and wellbeing in all areas of his or her life.

Eligibility and referral to Family Options is determined by the Department of Human Services in Warrnambool, call 03 5561 9444.

Community Connections Consultancy

Community Connections Consultancy (CCC) provides professional counselling and education services that improve the mental health and wellbeing of individuals, families, organisations or groups. We also arrange for mental health social workers to work with general practitioners to assist them in providing government mental health initiated programs, including working with individuals and conducting casework. More information is available on the CCC page of this website or by calling CCC staff.

Disability Services are regularly audited by Health and Disability Auditing Australia, and operate under all relevant government legislation and the Quality Framework for Disability Services Victoria.