Supporting the Kids Helpline Giving Day

To meet growing demand and help ensure no call goes unanswered, Australia’s only 24/7 professional counselling service for children and young people will hold its inaugural Giving Day on Thursday, 24 July.

The latest data suggests one in six counselling contacts to Kids Helpline is suicide-related, and three-quarters come outside business hours.

yourtown CEO Tracy Adams said the national fundraising campaign was in response to the increasing number of young people seeking help late at night and in the early hours of the morning.

“We’re seeing a steady rise in children and young people reaching out when most other services are closed,” Ms Adams said.

“Kids Helpline is answering more than 130,000 contacts a year, but the demand for counselling support is growing. Right now, we can only respond to three in every five contacts.

“Some of the children we support are as young as five. We don’t want to see any child or young person needing support and not being able to get it – that’s a heartbreaking gap.”

Kids Helpline is Australia’s only free, private and confidential 24/7 phone and online counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25. It’s a vital safety net for those facing mental health challenges, bullying, abuse, family breakdown, or loneliness.

The Giving Day will take place on 24 July, reflecting the 24/7 nature of the service, which operates around the clock to support young people when they need it most.

“Our Giving Day is a chance for all in our community to say: we see you, we hear you, and we’ll show up for you,” Ms Adams said.

Alongside government funding and public donations, the Bupa Foundation has proudly contributed more than $3 million since 2019 to help Kids Helpline reach more young people.

Bupa APAC Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer Roger Sharp said the reality is that current funding, from all sources, isn’t enough to meet growing demand for Kids Helpline services.

“That’s why the Bupa Foundation will continue to provide funding support to Kids Helpline and why we’re encouraging everyone to support this vital campaign, so no child is left waiting for help when they need it most,” Mr Sharp said.

Kids Helpline counsellors conduct on average 89 crisis or safety interventions every week. Most of these happen after-hours, with 75 per cent of all contacts now occurring outside the traditional 9-to-5 window.

“Whether it’s 2am or 2pm during school hours, Kids Helpline is there — and your donation helps make sure no child in crisis goes unheard,” Ms Adams said.

Your gift makes a real difference:

·         $55 gives a counselling session to one child in need

·         $110 supports a young person through two or more critical moments

·         $550 supports a full day of critical responses, supporting multiple children and young people

Kids Helpline is funded by yourtown, with support from government/s, corporate and community donations. However, additional funding is needed to increase the capacity of the service to lift response rates. 

To donate or find out more information about the Kids Helpline Giving Day visit here