SIDS and Kids SA does not receive any government funding and relies solely on the generosity of the community to fund the services we offer. Unfortunately, this model is just not sustainable in the long term, so we are seeking your support to lobby the SA Government to provide funding. Other like organisations in VIC, NSW, ACT, QLD, NT and WA receive state government funding but this is not the case in SA.

SIDS and Kids SA believe it is very reasonable to expect that the SA Government contribute towards the cost of delivering the valuable health service we offer because the majority (86%) of our 2020 and 2021 referrals to support and care for parents came from SA Government departments. In 2021 our organisation received an unprecedented number of referrals for grief counselling after the sudden death of a baby/child.

The health service that we offer fills a gap in services which are not currently offered by SA Health. Our free professional grief counselling allows equitable access to counselling for all bereaved parents irrespective of their socioeconomic status, as the cost of private grief counselling may be cost prohibitive for some.

The situation for SIDS and Kids SA is now at a critical point because we have almost reached capacity and cannot continue to take on clients using only the funds raised by the SA community, so unfortunately, we are now seriously considering not accepting new referrals for the first time in our 45-year history. This is devastating for newly bereaved families and not a decision we will take lightly, as the potential negative impact on mental health and wellbeing is significant.

South Australian bereaved parents are just as deserving of state government support as bereaved parents in other states so let’s ensure that SIDS and Kids SA remains able to provide our vital services for many years to come by accessing government funding.

If you have used our service or value the service that we offer please sign our petition.