Our Story.
Why We Created Young Minds Thrive
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At Young Minds Thrive, our journey began from a deep-seated passion to address the challenges faced by local children and families in our community. Drawing from our experiences in the health and education sectors, we were profoundly moved by the levels of disadvantage and vulnerability experienced by many families. We witnessed firsthand the impact of limited access to essential health, development, and early learning support on a child's readiness for school and their ability to experience early success. These challenges were further exacerbated by fragmented service delivery and poor collaborative practices between social support services and health and education providers.
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Our research, fuelled by our lived experiences, revealed alarming statistics from the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC), indicating the extent of vulnerability among children in the Nambucca Valley. Shockingly, up to 60% of children in our community faced challenges related to physical health, emotional well-being, communication, and social skills, significantly higher than national rates. Moreover, these rates had persisted for over 14 years without local initiatives to improve them through government, health, or education services.
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Only 8% of local families had accessed health and development assessments for their children aged between 3-5 years before starting school. Data collected from our Empowering Futures School Screening Program confirmed these findings. Children in our local area were also identified to be three times more likely to experience undetected hearing loss, which is linked to significantly poorer outcomes in various areas, including school success, attendance, social skills, mental health, and employment opportunities.
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Compounded by extensive wait times for accessing essential services such as primary health care, early intervention allied health supports, and paediatric services, it became evident that our community lacked comprehensive, holistic support for healthy child development. This gap underscored the urgent need for a centralised access point for families, primary health services, and community support services to provide timely assistance, screening, and referrals for children in need. This is where the creation of Young Minds Thrive began.
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What We Hope to Achieve
We believe that our innovative approach to addressing escalating rates of childhood developmental vulnerability and disadvantage will have a significant impact on local outcomes, including increased awareness of healthy child development, increased parent access to child development screening services, increased early identification of developmental delays, and fast referrals to appropriate support services. We anticipate our organisation will reduce extensive wait periods across multiple services, including Child and Family Health Services, Audiometry Services, Allied Health (Speech, OT), Specialist Paediatrician Services, and screening services for autism.
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We aim to achieve these outcomes through four key activities:
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Centralised Access Point: Establishing a centralised access point for families and service providers to access help, support, screening, and referrals for children with health, development, behavioural, or early learning concerns. We envision a telehealth model supplemented by in-person visits for more complex cases.
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Community Access to Screening Services: Increasing community access to child development screening through targeted school/preschool programs and community clinics. Our objective is to make these services cost-free for parents through funding support from various sources.
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Raising Awareness: Committed to raising community awareness about the high rates of childhood developmental vulnerability and the imperative to change the trajectory for our children. By initiating conversations about healthy child development and engaging parents, services, and community stakeholders, we seek to foster a culture of support and understanding.
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Robust Data Collection: Prioritising robust data collection to inform evidence-based programs tailored to our community's needs. By sharing this data with relevant stakeholders, we aim to drive innovation and improve outcomes for children and families.
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The Power of Collective Impact
At Young Minds Thrive, we believe in the power of collective impact. We envision a community where all stakeholders – children, families, primary health practices, NSW Health services, and the Department of Education – come together to create positive change. Through collaboration, accountability, and a shared vision for the future, we are committed to building a community where every child's potential is realised and every family's dreams are within reach.
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Join us in our mission to empower futures and create a world where young minds not only survive but thrive.
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We have provided130+ health, development and early learning support assessments to local children and families.
We have provided 175+ Child Ear Health and Hearing Screenings.
70+ families have accessed our Community Clinic for health, development and early learning support.
66% of targeted local schools signed up to participate in our 2024 School Screening Program.
Our Impact. Empowering Futures, one child at a time.
Our Mission
Our mission is to combat rising child developmental delays and school readiness issues in disadvantaged regional communities by offering centralised child health, development, and school readiness screening services for children aged 2-7. Guided by principles of early intervention, holistic approaches, empowerment, collaboration, and inclusivity, we aim to serve families, schools, and communities effectively. With local roots, comprehensive screenings, unique health-education partnerships, mobility, personalised follow-up, tailored interventions, and robust data collection, we strive to enhance child wellbeing in regional areas of NSW.
Our Vision
Our vision is a world where every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential, regardless of their background or circumstances. By providing centralised child health, development, and school readiness screening services, tailored interventions, and robust data collection, we aim to combat rising child developmental delays and school readiness issues in disadvantaged regional communities. Through community engagement and collaboration, we strive to create a brighter future for all children living in regional NSW.
Our Core Values
Early Intervention
Detecting and addressing developmental and behavioural problems at the earliest stages.
Holistic Approach
Recognising children within their family and community context.
Empowerment
Equipping families with tools for proactive support and education about their child's physical, emotional and social development.
Collaboration
Building strong networks with schools, health services, and communities to achieve collective impact.
Inclusivity
Ensuring all children receive equitable access to activities and services regardless of background.
Meet Our Board
Dedication. Expertise. Passion.
Our incredible team embodies a collective of dedicated, community-minded visionaries with a 'can do' attitude, unwaveringly driven to leave the world a better place, firm believers in the power of collective impact, and the profound notion that it takes a village to raise healthy children and families."
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Founder
Karyn Thomas
RN, RM, MMid, Post Grad Cert Child and Family Health Nursing, Immunisation.
With 15 years of experience spanning Nursing, Midwifery, Child and Family Health Nursing, and an extensive background working in remote areas of Australia, my commitment lies in supporting communities facing service accessibility challenges. My passion revolves around building community capacity to enhance the health and well-being of our most vulnerable members through collaborative efforts.
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The Nambucca Valley is not just a place I call home; it's a community I'm dedicated to. Our aim is to partner with families, healthcare providers, educators, and the wider community to foster sustainable change and reduce childhood developmental vulnerability.
Together, we can make a positive impact on the lives of our youngest members.
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Education Advisor
Secretary
Deborah Swan
Bachelor of Primary Education
With 15 years of experience as a Primary School Educator and a deep-rooted connection to the Nambucca Valley, my unwavering dedication revolves around enhancing childhood learning outcomes in this very community.
I am passionate about forging unique paths to inspire young minds and dedicated to partnering with education, health, community stakeholders, and families alike to foster collective impact.
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The Nambucca Valley holds a special place in my heart, not just as my home but as a canvas upon which we can paint a brighter future for our children.
Together, we can weave a tapestry of collaboration that elevates learning experiences and empowers our youngest members, ensuring they thrive and flourish.
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Finance/Business Advisor
Treasurer
Melissa Rofe
BCom, Chartered Accountant (CA)
Bringing to the table a wealth of expertise garnered over 15 years as a qualified Chartered Accountant (CA) and a dedicated partner in my esteemed accounting firm, my heart is deeply invested in the realm of numbers, taxes, and assisting individuals with all matters numerical.
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Yet, my passion extends beyond the ledger and into the heart of our community, where I am driven to make a meaningful difference. My commitment lies in improving outcomes for children and families, utilising my financial acumen to create positive change.
Through collaboration with like-minded individuals and the relentless pursuit of collective impact, we can pave the way for a brighter future, where financial well-being contributes to the thriving well-being of all.
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Aboriginal Health Advisor
Committee Member
Harlie Byrnes
RN, RM, MMid
In the capacity of an Aboriginal Health Advisor and proudly identifying as a Waradjari woman, my journey is marked by 16 years of invaluable experience across a diverse spectrum of nursing disciplines, including nursing, midwifery, Aboriginal health, and rural and remote nursing.
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My dedication lies in remote health, a passion that fuels my unwavering commitment to improving outcomes for Aboriginal people. Whether it's providing acute care to individuals in dire need of emergency nursing or championing community-driven initiatives, my mission transcends boundaries.
By actively engaging with communities and healthcare professionals alike, I am devoted to the cause of bringing about positive change and collective impact, where the health and well-being of Aboriginal individuals and communities flourish, embracing a brighter and healthier future for all.
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Child Wellbeing Advisor
Committee Member
Dr Heather Ploeger
PhD, RN, RM, Post Grad Diploma Maternal and Child Health Nursing.
In my role as a Child Wellbeing Advisor, I bring a wealth of expertise gained as a Senior Officer at the Commission for Children and Young People, specialising in Child Death Inquiries (CDI's).
My extensive experience has afforded me a profound understanding of areas requiring improvement concerning at-risk children and families, with the ultimate goal of reducing adverse outcomes for our most vulnerable.
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My philosophy centres on the belief in amplifying the voices of children through their lived experiences. I am fiercely dedicated to enhancing outcomes for children, nurturing the capacity of families, and fortifying support services.
My vision is rooted in a world where no child has to endure harm, trauma, or avoidable disadvantage.
Through the sharing of knowledge and the empowerment of Child and Family Health Nursing, I endeavour to inspire change and drive collective efforts towards a brighter future where every child thrives, unburdened by adversity, and surrounded by opportunities for well-being and growth.