Latrobe Valley Family Assist
Project summary:
Latrobe Valley Family Assist is a place-based online information hub for parents/guardians focused on providing an intuitive way for caregivers to navigate the health system regardless of their level of health literacy.
The website assists caregivers in determining the appropriate care for their child’s specific needs. It includes a detailed service directory, an event portal and a suite of health literacy resources developed by subject-matter specialists.
The website is comprised of three sections. The first is an interactive children’s services directory for the Latrobe Valley. Community members who care for children may:
- Not be aware of the health services available to the child in their care within the Latrobe Valley; or
- May not have the health literacy to know what some services are and what they can be utilised for; or
- May not know how to navigate the financial supports that may be connected to these
The Family Assist website has been developed to provide parents with plain English access to filter through services based on predetermined categories that connect with what they are experiencing. Parents and guardians are able to pick from a range of scenarios that were developed by subject matter-experts and advisory groups of parents/guardians. These initial filters will steer the user to a series of possible services for them to enquire about including how to get started with a specific service (i.e., GP referral) and the financial supports that are available for the listed services (i.e., Medicare’s free children’s dental check-ups).
The second section is an information hub containing articles on a range of early childhood development concerns, conditions or best-practice tools produced in accessible language including audio/ video created by subject matter-experts.
Research with local parents suggests that they are unaware of events within the community that are tailored for parents, children, or family groups. The third section is an event calendar that provides parents/guardians with details on information sessions, children’s educational events, open days, and festivals within the region.