Royal Far West is one of Australia’s most enduring and respected charities dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of children in rural and remote communities by connecting them to the care they need.

Launched in the aftermath of the Black Summer bushfires of 2019/20 Royal Far West’s Bushfire Recovery Program (BRP) pioneered an effective, evidenced-backed approach to disaster response and preparation for children in local communities throughout Australia.

The program was initially developed with the support of UNICEF and the Paul Ramsay Foundation. It commenced with an on-the-ground needs assessment to inform planning, the program took into account existing community vulnerabilities and incorporated disaster risk reduction measures.

Today, the program is funded by joint Commonwealth/State Disaster Recovery Funding agreements (Bushfire Community Recovery & Resilience Fund and Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund).

In developing the BRP, Royal Far West recognised they must learn from previous disasters, so the service model was developed by collaborating with recovery workers & researchers involved in Ash Wednesday & Black Saturday, as well as international specialists from the London Grenfell Tower disaster. Royal Far West went a step further, by undertaking a comprehensive literature review in partnership with Charles Sturt University to summarise existing “best practice”.

The program developed, provides an effective, multidisciplinary model (social work, speech pathology, occupational therapy, and psychology) that involves addressing the specific needs of children (aged 0-12 years) and key adults supporting children (parents, carers, educators, and service providers) to support their mental health and wellbeing. Instilling community-led skill and capability will help them prepare for future disasters.

An independent evaluation of the program by Charles Sturt University found that children’s wellbeing, confidence, and resilience significantly improved after participating in it.

Since the program was developed it has improved the wellbeing and resilience of about 3,000 children in more than 30 bushfire-affected communities through the targeted provision of therapy and learning programs.

You can find more information about Royal Far West and our Bushfire Recovery Program here.