Family Stories from The Kids Plus Community
Hear From the Families We Support
The best way to understand what Kids+ means to families is to hear it in their own words.
Every child who comes through our doors has a unique story; a different diagnosis, a different set of goals, and a different journey ahead of them. What our families share in common is the experience of feeling seen, supported, and part of a community that genuinely cares.
Merri
“Merri has always been accepted at Kids+ for who she is, and I have never felt like anything is ' too hard' or that she is 'too complex'. Kids+ see the individual child and family unit, not just the disability and its complexities. Sometimes I am an exhausted and nervous wreck, but we are always accepted and welcomed and our family feel very privileged for the safe welcoming space that Kids + provides.” — Allara, mother of Merri Ma
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Merri is 5 years old. We've been with Kids+ for nearly two years. Before that, we spent time in Melbourne, where our care was spread across different providers. When we moved home to the Bellarine, I was worried about who would take over Merri's care.
Transitioning to Kids+ has been one of the best things that's happened for our family. Having everything under one roof made life so much easier. There is less running around, less appointment fatigue, more time to just be a family.
Merri has always been accepted at Kids+ for who she is. Kids+ see the individual child and family unit, not just the disability and its complexities. Sometimes it's just Merri and me at appointments, sometimes I bring the whole tribe, sometimes I'm an exhausted and nervous wreck, but we are always accepted and welcomed, and our family feels very privileged for the safe, welcoming space that Kids+ provides.
Merri started school this year, in prep at our local mainstream primary school. We debated the best schooling option for her, but it was important to us that she stay within our community and be at school with her siblings. The team at Kids+ were incredibly supportive of our decision, and Merri has had a wonderful start to the year, embraced by her classmates.
Merri also loved taking part in Surf Ed. Getting to do an activity together with her siblings that would otherwise have felt out of reach was really special for our family.
We're so grateful she's had these experiences.
Sophie
“Kids+ has always remained a strong and supportive community—not just for Sophie, but also for her younger sister Amelia, and for us as parents. From events and Christmas parties to lasting friendships with past therapists, Kids+ has been an important part of our lives.” — Simon, father of Sophie
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Sophie has been with Kids+ since she was a newborn and is now 6 years old. The early years were challenging, especially during COVID lockdowns, but when restrictions eased, group sessions gave us a real sense of community.
In 2024, Sophie was proudly an ambassador for the Kite Festival. She still sometimes wears her ambassador shirt and took great pride in the role, coming up with ideas for where to display posters and making sure her cousins and kinder friends were invited.
Recently, Sophie started mainstream school for Prep. We couldn't have been prouder watching her run through the school gates to begin this new chapter with her friends.
Over the years, Sophie has seen several therapists come and go at Kids+, but it has always remained a strong and supportive community; not just for Sophie, but also for her younger sister Amelia, and for us as parents. From events and Christmas parties to lasting friendships with past therapists, Kids+ has been an important part of our lives.
Hamish
"We have been incredibly fortunate to have Kids+ with us every step of the way. From our first home visit when Hamish was 5 weeks old, the team have been a pillar of support for all of us."— Megan, mother of Hamish
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We have been incredibly fortunate to have Kids+ with us every step of the way. From our very first home visit when Hamish was 5 weeks old, the team have been a pillar of support for all of us. Kids+ have given us confidence, and we feel equipped to support Hamish at home. The team are always a step ahead, thinking about what Hamish might need next.
Visiting Kids+ is often the highlight of Hamish's day. The bond he shares with his team is so strong, and it's a true testament to how kind, compassionate, fun, and understanding they are. We're continually amazed by how Kids+ make hard work fun and engaging for him.
The team always celebrate Hamish's wins with us, big or small, and that means everything to him and to us. For a kid who works so hard at everything he does, having that acknowledged means the world.
Hamish was so excited to take his little brother to the Kids+ Family Christmas Party. He talked about it for days before and after, and he's so proud to be part of the Kids+ community.
The journey for us has been emotional and, at times, tough, but we feel so grateful to have had such a wonderful team by our side, and for all the opportunities Kids+ has provided to enrich Hamish's life.
Jude
“What makes Kids+ amazing is how the therapists work together as a team, setting Jude’s goals and focuses. They support us navigating NDIS and any other areas we need help with. They support our whole family, our oldest child has attended the sibling programs and very much feels at home at Kids+!” — Emma, mother of Jude
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Jude is our beautiful two-and-a-half-year-old, who started with Kids+ when he was about 8 months old. The team came to our house early on, which made life so much easier having another child at home too. This was before our funding had even come through. Without that early support, it would have been a few more months of struggle before funding arrived.
Jude receives several different types of therapy through Kids+. Group sessions have also been great for making connections in the community.
What makes Kids+ amazing is how the whole team works together, and how they support us navigating NDIS and everything else we need. They support our whole family, and our oldest child has attended the sibling programs and very much feels at home at Kids+!
It's definitely not been an easy ride for our family, but it's been a lot smoother with the care and support Kids+ has shown us.
Contact Us
Whether you have a question about our individual or group therapy programs, want to learn more about our school holiday intensives, or are interested in our hydrotherapy and aquatic therapy sessions, we'd love to hear from you.