Child Psychology

Mr McBRIDE (MacKillop) (15:28): I rise today to pay tribute and to highlight the important work that Smiles All Round child psychology is providing in the South-East of South Australia. Smiles All Round was established in 2006 and has grown to become one of the largest private psychology and counselling centres in our region. At one time they had around 200 clients, with teams operating from Naracoorte, Mount Gambier and Goroke in western Victoria. Their diverse team of psychologists, social workers, teachers, counsellors, support workers and administrative staff is united by a common goal: to promote mental health and resilience in young people and their families.

I think we would all agree that children are the heart of our community and therefore fostering emotionally strong young people is vitally important. Yet, as we all know, the world they grow up in is complex and often challenging. There are academic pressures, social pressures, changes in family dynamics, all of which affect a child's mental and emotional health. This is where Smiles All Round steps in, providing an invaluable resource to our community. Their dedicated team of child psychologists offers a compassionate, expert approach to addressing the diverse needs of our young ones.

Smiles All Round has a vision which is simple yet profound: every child in Australia knows 'I am the boss of how I think, feel and act.' The vision encapsulates the commitment to empowering children to take charge of their emotional and mental wellbeing. Smiles All Round offers a wide range of services tailored to the unique needs of young people. This includes emotional regulation and social skill development, through to anxiety management, confidence-building and support for conditions such as autism and ADHD.

However, the path to expanding these services and reaching more families is not without its challenges. One of their biggest issues is being able to attract skilled professionals to work in regional locations. Their unique approach of integrating former teachers, who have become counsellors, sets them apart, but they still have ongoing barriers such as securing funding, managing costs for clients, and making people aware that nurturing mental health is a sustained effort and not a quick fix.

I asked Smiles All Round what they would do if they could allocate $2 million towards enhancing psychology and mental health services for youth. Their priorities would be clear. They would invest in evidence-based pilot programs to support parents, from prenatal stages through to early childhood, helping them to understand and navigate the complexities of child development. They would expand their service offerings to include a broader range of allied health practitioners that would address needs such as speech and language delays with more immediacy. Additionally, they would focus on early development screening and provide professional development for preschool and school staff to ensure consistent support across home and school environments.

Governments can play a crucial role in this space by making mental health services more affordable for families, and supporting allied health students during their placements. Expanding opportunities for entry into postgraduate programs and increasing funding for early years support are essential steps towards building a more robust and accessible mental health support system.

We see the government now investing in early learning, and early childhood learning between the ages of three and four is about to be rolled out in 2026, 2027 and beyond, based on previous Prime Minister Julia Gillard's findings about the value of capturing students in the early years before school. It is one of the things I really do support the government in, and I wish them well in their endeavours and the money they spend.

I have also heard that from ages one to five it sets a student—and perhaps an adult in future—up for life when those early years are done and created well. There are two things that come to mind that early learning can do. The first is to see that the school—teachers, learning and education—is a pathway from a very young age, and that it is something to be excited about, something to be trusted, and something where the student knows that, by the end, there is something greater in later life.

In closing, I commend Smiles All Round for its contribution to the young people who live in the South-East. It is more than just a service, it is a movement towards a future where every child feels empowered to manage their mental health and wellbeing.