Welcome to the family Care Squared Kids!

When I was an Occupational Therapy student, my dream was to work with children when I graduated. I coordinated my practical placements to support this and was one of the first students to complete an elective subject at the University of QLD Life Skills Clinic.

My first job took me to a rural town in central Queensland and while I had hopes of paediatric referrals through the local child health service, I could not have imagined the children and families I would meet and essentially become an integral part of their lives during my time in that role. I remember taking my Cabbage Patch Kid doll, from when I was a child, into therapy with a four-year-old girl whose left-hand hypertonicity from cerebral palsy changed with her delight at dressing and undressing the doll. I remember joint therapy sessions with the Speech Pathologist for a two-year-old girl with blonde curls and the brightest blue eyes who had non-verbal autism and how her face and body positively responded to the communication and sensory strategies we taught her mother. And then there was the young boy with achondroplasia, another boy with Down Syndrome and another with muscular dystrophy, challenging my skills as a Therapist and as a person to connect with and help each of these children. More than all this though, I remember the community created by the parents of these children and the value they placed on any allied health intervention available to their children. They were hungry for it and wanted every opportunity afforded to their little people.

I worked with these children and families nearly 20 years ago and yet their stories are as vivid for me today as if I had finished a therapy session with them only last week. My career took a different path in the following years, but my passion as a therapist for achieving the very best outcomes for children has never waned. It is why, today, as the CEO of Care Squared, I am so very proud to announce the launch of our dedicated children’s service – Care Squared Kids. The creation of Care Squared Kids has been due to the demand for high-quality allied health services for children aged 0 to six. Since Care Squared began, we’ve had constant requests from parents and caregivers wanting our approach to care and support for their children. Over the past months, we worked hard to develop the exceptional services and support I, and many like me on my team, dreamed of being able to offer families when we first started our allied health careers and working with children.

Led by a team of experienced paediatric therapists, Care Squared Kids offers comprehensive multi-disciplinary services including Speech Pathology, Occupational Therapy, Psychology & Behavioural Support and Physiotherapy. Check out our Care Squared Kids page on our Care Squared website for more information about the new addition to our Care Squared family and how to access these tailored, child-focussed allied health services.

—Amanda Lacey, Care Squared Chief Executive Officer