Our history

Kids Are Kids! Therapy and Education Centre was established to provide a range of specialist therapy services to children from birth to 18 years.  The founders of Kids Are Kids! were a group of four professionals working in the area of disability who recognised a need for families to have a choice in the services they received.

The idea was conceived in 1996 with the organisation becoming officially incorporated in 1997 and operational at the old Bateman Child Health Centre in late 1998.  Services then expanded and we continue to provide services in our friendly community-based centre in the southern Perth suburb of Bateman.

Why Kids Are Kids! was formed

To provide a choice

At the time Kids Are Kids! was founded there were limited choices available for families that had children with difficulties and disabilities to source professional therapy services.  The organisation was formed to give families more choice in quality family centered services.

To provide an inclusive service

Historically it was observed that many agencies had very specific entry criteria which children had to meet in order to access services.  Kids Are Kids! wanted to ensure that any child could access quality services.

To provide access to quality services at the lowest possible cost

When a child has long term therapy needs there is often a significant financial burden placed on the family to cover the on-going costs of accessing private therapy services.  Kids Are Kids! was formed with the aim of closing the gap between government funded and private therapy agencies making services more accessible to families.

Kids Are Kids! was established as a not-for-profit organisation so that the cost of services could be kept to a minimum through sourcing of grants, donations and sponsorships.  Kids Are Kids! continues to seek funding from government and non-government sources to fully or partially fund the cost of services.

To provide families with access to holistic therapy services

It was recognised that often children with difficulty in one skill area also experienced difficulties in other skill areas. This meant that families had to go to several different places to receive their therapy services.  By providing speech pathology, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, psychology and educational consultancy services in the one place, families could receive a co-ordinated approach to their child’s intervention.

Kids Are Kids! now and into the future

Since 1997, Kids Are Kids! has continued to grow as an organisation and has many dedicated staff members who have extensive experience working with children with a range of needs.  Our locations have expanded to include centres in Armadale, Rockingham and Mount Barker.  We are fortunate to have many volunteers and families who support us through various ways.  For example, assisting with the running of group programs, fundraising and events. It is through this sense of community, that Kids Are Kids! owes its success.

We will continue to strive to:

• Provide a quality service that is accessible to all families.
• Provide information for families and those working with children, who have additional needs, in a way that is meaningful for all.
• Be a service provider that is responsive to the individual needs of families and the community at large.
• Continue to strengthen our associations with local community organisations and service providers to promote a holistic service.