ODEEP

🌈 COME ALONG TO CANOWINDRA PLAYGROUP! 🧸🎨

Looking for a fun, friendly place for your little ones to play, explore and make new friends?

Canowindra Playgroup is back for Term 4, and everyone is welcome! 💕

Join us for a lovely morning of play, laughter and connection, with fun activities for the children and a chance for parents, carers and families to catch up and meet others in the community.

We've got some wonderful mornings planned!

🧸 Monday 26 October – Welcome Back Morning Tea

🐻 Monday 9 November – Teddy Bear Picnic

🎨 Monday 23 November – Messy Play Day

🎄 Monday 7 December – Christmas Celebrations

📍 Where: St Edwards Primary School Hall, Canowindra

🕙 Time: 10am – 12pm

💚 Cost: FREE!

Whether you're a regular or thinking about coming along for the first time, we'd love to see you there!

Canowindra Playgroup run by Cabonne Children's Services and support by ODEEP.

📞 Have any questions? Please contact Cabonne Council on 02 6392 3219.

✨ Everyone is welcome — come along, join the fun and make some lovely new connections!

You've probably heard the name "Thriving Kids" popping up lately.

But what exactly is it, and what does it mean for families?

Thriving Kids is a new Australian Government initiative designed to make it easier for young children and their families to access developmental support when they need it.

The program is being developed for children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism who have low to moderate support needs.

𝗦𝗼, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗞𝗶𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗼?

The aim is to help families:

🧡 Better understand their child's development

🧡 Recognise developmental concerns earlier

🧡 Access clear, reliable information and advice

🧡 Build confidence and skills to support their child

🧡 Connect with the right services and support

Importantly, children won't need a formal diagnosis to access Thriving Kids support.

Support will be delivered largely through community-based services, including parenting programs, playgroups and targeted early intervention supports.

👉 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴?

Thriving Kids began rolling out in October 2026, with information and general family supports being introduced first. More targeted supports, including allied health services, are expected to begin rolling out from 2027, with full implementation planned by January 2028.

👉 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗦?

This is an important one for families!

There are no changes to NDIS access arrangements until 1 January 2028. Children aged 8 and under can continue to apply for the NDIS through the existing pathways.

Thriving Kids will work alongside the NDIS, providing community-based support rather than individual NDIS-style funding.

🧡 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗢𝗗𝗘𝗘𝗣 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀?

There are still questions about exactly how Thriving Kids will operate here in NSW, and we understand that families may be feeling uncertain about what these changes will mean for their children.

🧡 At ODEEP, supporting children and families is at the heart of everything we do. We'll continue to follow developments closely and share reliable information as more details become available.

Because every child deserves the opportunity to thrive!

𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲?

The Australian Government has created a helpful information hub for families:

https://raisingchildren.net.au/thrivingkids

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗞𝗶𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗢𝗗𝗘𝗘𝗣:

https://www.odeep.com.au/whatisthrivingkids

If you have any concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us on 02 6361 4093.

💜 To the carers in our ODEEP community — we see you!

Well… we do now! 😂

It seems our social media lady was so busy that she completely missed National Carers Week! 🙈

And considering this year's theme was "Care for a carer: Making carers visible," we probably should have made Carers Week a little more visible in our own calendar! 😂💜

But while we might be a few days late, our appreciation certainly isn't! 💜

Every day, parents, grandparents, family members and other carers give so much of themselves to support the children they love.

It's in the appointments, the encouragement, the patience, the advocacy, the little victories and the countless things that often go unseen.

At ODEEP, we're privileged to work alongside families who show us every day what love, dedication and determination look like.

So, even if our social media lady's calendar needs a little work, there's one thing we definitely don't want to overlook…

💜 We see you.

💜 We appreciate you.

💜 And the incredible difference you make matters.

To every carer in our community — thank you for all that you do. And please remember, you deserve care and support too.💜

What exactly is a developmental milestone? 🌱

Developmental milestones are the skills children develop as they grow — things like communicating, moving, learning, connecting with others and becoming more independent.

But milestones aren't a test, and they're not about comparing one child with another.

Every child develops differently. Some children reach certain milestones earlier, while others take a little longer. What matters is looking at your child's development and progress over time.

If something about your child's development has you wondering or concerned, it's always okay to ask questions. Seeking advice doesn't necessarily mean something is wrong — it can simply give you more information, reassurance and support.

💜 At ODEEP, we're here to work alongside children and families.

If you'd like to talk with us about your child's communication, learning or development, get in touch with our friendly team.

Five simple ways to build your child’s language at home 💬

You don’t need expensive toys, worksheets or special activities to support your child’s communication.

Some of the best opportunities for language development happen during the things you’re already doing every day — getting dressed, sharing a book, playing, bath time, shopping or simply chatting while making lunch.

Our latest ODEEP Tips carousel shares five simple ways to turn those everyday moments into opportunities for talking, listening and learning.

And the best part? They don’t need to feel like “therapy” — they can simply become part of your day. 💜

✨ Which of these do you already do with your child? Is there one you might try this week?

If you have questions about your child’s communication or development, our friendly ODEEP team is always happy to help.

Meet Steph 👋

Steph is one of our wonderful Speech Pathologists, bringing warmth, curiosity and a genuine love of connecting with people to her work with children and families.

For Steph, one of the best parts of her role is getting to know the amazing people she works alongside — and learning from them along the way. 💛

We’re very lucky to have Steph as part of our team.

Have a read of her Meet the Team profile to learn a little more about her — including where she stands on the very important pineapple-on-pizza debate! 🍍🍕

Say hi to Steph! 👋

SERVICE SPOTLIGHT | Early Childhood Intervention Specialist 💗

You may have heard the term Early Childhood Intervention Specialist — but what exactly do they do?

At ODEEP, our Early Childhood Intervention Specialists work alongside children and families to support learning, development, independence and participation in everyday life.

And importantly, support isn't just about what happens during a session. It's about finding practical ways to build learning opportunities into the things children already do — at home, at preschool or childcare, out in the community and during everyday family routines.

Every child and family is different, so support is shaped around each child's strengths and interests, as well as their family's goals and priorities.

👉 Swipe through to learn more about what an Early Childhood Intervention Specialist does and how they can support children and families.

If you have questions about your child's development or would like to know more about ODEEP's Early Childhood Intervention services, we'd love to hear from you.

📞 02 6361 4093

We are incredibly grateful to Orange Ex-Services' Club to be one of the recipients of the 2026 ClubGRANTS funding round.

ODEEP has received $9,200 towards our Little Foundations – Early Screening and Support Initiative. 💜

This funding will help ODEEP provide accessible developmental screening and early support for children aged 0–5 years in the Orange community.

One of the challenges we see is that some children may not be identified as needing additional developmental support until they reach preschool or school. Families may have concerns but many in our community face barriers accessing assessments or support, particularly when they do not have NDIS funding or the capacity to access private services. The funding you have provided allows us to help these families.

Through Little Foundations, ODEEP will be able to provide developmental screenings, immediate feedback to families, follow-up support for children identified as being at risk, and connections or referrals to appropriate services. The funding will also contribute to important assessment and communication resources used by our team.

Early identification can make such a difference. Our goal is not only to identify children who may need additional support, but also to give parents and carers information, reassurance and a clearer pathway forward.

A huge thank you to Orange Ex-Services Club for investing $9,200 in this project and for continuing to support organisations working with children, families and the broader Orange community.

We are very excited to bring the next stage of Little Foundations to life and to see the difference this funding will make for local families.

Thank you Orange Ex-Services Club! 💜

Congratulations to all of our 2026 ClubGRANTS recipients!

We’re honoured to support the incredible local charities and organisations who work tirelessly to make a positive difference in our community.

This year, $160,224 in Category 1 funding has been shared across 22 local projects spanning health, welfare, youth, and community services. We’re proud to stand beside these groups in building a stronger Orange community.

See the full list of this year’s recipients here 👉 www.oesc.com.au/clubgrants