Carers Qld www.carersqld.asn.au

Thank you for contacting Carers Queensland regarding the Better Start for Children with Disability Initiative.  All children under the age of 6 with a confirmed diagnosis of one of the following: Down Syndrome; Cerebral Palsy; Fragile X , Hearing or Vision Loss (thresholds apply),  Deafblindness, Kabuki Syndrome, Prader-Willi Syndrome, Williams Syndrome, Angelman Syndrome, CHARGE, Cornelia du Lange Syndrome, Cri du Chat Syndrome, Smith-Magenis Syndrome and Microcephaly are eligible for the Initiative.  Funding of up to $12,000 is available towards therapy, resources/aids and equipment, to be used until your child turns 7 years of age. 

 

To ensure that we are able to assist you with the registration for this initiative, we will require the following documentation (photocopies are acceptable and do not need to be certified by a JP):

 

•             Your child’s birth certificate,

•             A written conclusive diagnosis from your GP or Paediatrician (must be on letterhead including the signature and position of the person providing the diagnosis) Microcephaly must state:  based on a head circumference less than the third percentile and a functional level at or below 2 standard deviation below the mean for age on the Griffiths Mental Development Scales or the Bayley Scales of Infant Development.

•             Your Child’s Customer Reference Number (CRN) (Call Centrelink on 136150 if you do not have this)

•             Proof of your residential address (utilities or rates invoice),

•             If there are any parenting plans in place for shared care of your child or court orders that may impact on your child’s residence, please provide copies,

•             Proof of residential eligibility as per the eligibility for the Centrelink Carer Allowance(child) That is, both the carer and the child being cared for are living in Australia permanently as:

             An Australian Citizenship or the holder of a permanent residency visa,

             A New Zealand citizen who was: In Australia on 26 Feb 2001, or for 12 months in the 2 years immediately before that date, or assessed as ”protected” before 26 February 2004.

•             Signed consent form  & Registration Form (pg 9) which is enclosed with pack.

 

We are unable to continue with the registration process without the correct documentation. If you are unsure of what you need to provide or don’t have access to all the documents listed above, please contact me to discuss alternatives. 

 

When all the documentation is returned, I will contact you to confirm that your child has been registered successfully and arrange either a phone or face to face appointment to discuss the Better Start Provider Panel and other components of the Initiative. Please note: A child must be registered before they turn 6 years of age to be eligible for the program.

 

I look forward to speaking with you soon,

 

Kind regards,

 

 

 

 

Gillian Fleming RISS Advisor - Better Start Program

Level 3, 28-30 Thorn Street, Ipswich, QLD, 4305    PO Box 877, Ipswich, QLD,  4305

 

 

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0418 962 428 07 3454 0552 [email protected]

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Carers Queensland's mission is to improve the quality of life of all carers throughout Queensland. In order for Carers Queensland to appropriately support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander carers we must first recognise the special place that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people hold in Australia. Carers Queensland acknowledges their role as Australia's first peoples of the land we now share today. We believe in working towards building stronger partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in moving to a place of equity and justice for all Australians.

 

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