26 May 2022
We are happy to announce that Western Sydney Kids Early Years (KEYS) Network has coordinated valuable assistance to over 200 disadvantaged families.
Developed in 2021, KEYS has worked to assist vulnerable families with young children in Western Sydney by providing a streamlined connection with help and resources to make significant improvements to their situation.
KEYS is a collaborative partnership between WentWest, the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ), Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network (SCHN), Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD) and the Department of Education (DoE). The Network is the first of its kind in Australia and has been created to build a new way forward where people and organisations feel empowered to work together to achieve greater outcomes for families and communities in need in Western Sydney.
Ray Messom, KEYS Project Board Member and CEO at WentWest says he is inspired by what the KEYS Network has achieved, helping vulnerable families in need across the region, “200 families represent a total of 789 people – 256 adults and 530 children. It’s wonderful to think that all of these people have benefitted from the expertise and connections available through the KEYS Network. This is a fantastic result, and we look forward to continuing to build on this KEYS movement. We know there are 10,000 vulnerable families in Western Sydney which KEYS can help – our goal is to reach all these families in order to break the cycle of disadvantage in our community, allowing these families to thrive”.
Families can find it confusing and frustrating to find the appropriate organisation to provide them with assistance to meet their needs. To address this issue, KEYS works alongside a series of service providers to be advocates or lead service providers for families – they might be community support workers, teachers or other trusted community members. These service providers sit with families to create a holistic family plan highlighting issues and providing a connection to relevant service providers who can offer possible solutions to their medical, parenting, psychological, social or practical needs. As well as this being a reassuring and practical approach, it also means that families are not having to repeat their story countless times to a number of different organisations which can feel overwhelming.
Kylie Hughes, Director of the Western Sydney KEYS Network recognises and values the significance of the strong relationship with local service providers. “By sharing our knowledge and working together, we maximise opportunities to provide targeted and timely support to help build resilience in our children and their families and contribute to healthy early childhood development.”
With 200 families having received assistance from the KEYS Network there is a strong hope that word of mouth will spread throughout the community so that people feel confident that KEYS represents a trusted and respectful way forward towards happier and healthier lives.
To read more about how the KEYS Network helps vulnerable families in Western Sydney visit the KEYS website. If you have any queries or wish to make a referral, please email admin@wskeys.com.au