What is the Better Start package?
From the 1st of July 2011 the Australian Government has put in place a new funding initiative for early intervention services for children with specific disabilities. Children with Cerebral palsy, Down Syndrome, Fragile X syndrome and moderate or greater vision or hearing impairments will have access to funding for therapy by recognised providers. Talking Matters and members of their consortium have been included on the Better Start Early Intervention Service Provider Panel and will therefore be able to provide services to children under this package.
From July 1 2011, children who are aged under six years and have been diagnosed with one of the listed disabilities can be registered to access early intervention funding of up to $12,000 (up to a maximum of $6,000 per financial year). Funding can be used for speech pathology, audiology, and occupational therapy through the Talking Matters consortium. Families will have until their child's seventh birthday to access the early intervention funding.
This targeted early intervention in the pre-school years aims to assist children to have the best possible preparation for the transition to school.
The FaHCSIA website provides further information about this funding. Parents can also learn more about this program and whether their child may be eligible by looking at this parent brochure or this parent or carer fact sheet that have been put together by FaHCSIA and made available on their website.
How to register for the Better Start Initiative
Parents or carers of eligible children will need to register their child for Better Start before they turn six in order to access the early intervention funding. The Better Start Registration and Information Service (RIS) will be operated by Carers Australia from the 1st of July 2011. To register your child for the Better Start initiative, call the Carers Australia RIS on 1800 242 636.
To register for the Better Start initiative families will need to provide:
- the child's Centrelink Customer Reference Number (CRN)
- proof of the child's age and residential address, and
- a written conclusive diagnosis.
Further information
For further information about the Better Start initiative, please visit the FaHCSIA website. Enquiries can also be directed to the Better Start Helpline on 1800 989 530 or email to Better.Start@fahcsia.gov.au. For information about services with Talking Matters under this program please contact our office on ph (08) 8255 7137,
Options for older children
A Medicare item for the development of a treatment and management plan will also be available for children up to the age of 13. Medicare items will also be available for up to four allied health diagnostic services and for a total of 20 relevant allied health services per eligible child. The new items will be available for children up to the age of 15 provided the tratment and management plan is in place before 13 years of age.
At Talking Matters we have a hicaps machine and are able to process Medicare payments with your Medicare card back into your account to save you a trip to the Medicare office. Accounts are paid at time of service and the Medicare items enable a rebate to be processed for the session.