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Bridging the distance: Family support in the Hume Region
November 9, 2026
Few people have witnessed the growth and impact of Very Special Kids quite like Jenni.
Since joining Very Special Kids as family support practitioner in 2008, Jenni has walked alongside countless regional families. Over nearly 18 years, she has become a constant in a region where distance often dictates the level of care a family receives.
Jenni’s area of Hume covers a vast geographical area, stretching across regional Victoria and over the NSW border. For families in towns like Tallangatta or Echuca or Moama, accessing specialised care in Melbourne is a huge undertaking, with families juggling cost, time and effort.
Even technology isn’t a guaranteed bridge.
“I remember a mum sitting in the car, out in the paddock at their farm, just so she could get reception for a remote service,” Jenni says.
Support near home
As a family support practitioner, Jenni is there for families at every stage of life-limiting childhood illness. She can remain a constant presence, providing support from diagnosis through to end-of-life care and bereavement.
Alongside practical support and care coordination, Jenni provides a trusted source of emotional support during some of life’s most challenging moments.
After Lachie’s diagnosis, his family was connected with Jenni. Through regular home visits, they were able to access specialist support in a familiar, non-clinical setting.
Lachie’s mum, Alanna, explained,
She’s seen many other families in similar situations, so she gets it.
She just understands.
From home to hospice
The introduction of the Road to Respite transport service in 2018 has been a game-changer.
Delivered in partnership with the Royal Flying Doctor Service and funded by CMV Group Foundation, GW Vowell Foundation and Qube Logistics, the service provides transport directly from a family’s front door to Very Special Kids House, helping remove the burden of long-distance travel.
“Families can do the admission at home,” she says.
“It adds another ten hours to their ability to have a break. The feedback has been huge.”
Raising awareness
A big part of Jenni’s job is also meeting with the community and health practitioners in the regions, something she admits has a lot to do with dispelling assumptions and offering alternatives.
“With children, the parents make the decisions,” she says.
“With adults, it’s the individual. Many regional services have little experience with life-limiting illnesses in children, so I work collaboratively to highlight the supports we can provide.”
Jenni also has a special interest to make sure people from all walks of life are well-informed and can make the best decisions for their loved ones’ care.
Through partnerships with organisations such as Country Hope and other allied health services across the region, she has increased the visibility and accessibility of paediatric palliative care while helping to make services more culturally responsive and inclusive.
Her educational presentations to health services, schools and community and cultural groups also improve local knowledge and referral pathways.
Growing need for support
As more families across the Hume Region turn to Very Special Kids for support, the team has expanded with the appointment of Karen Sutherland.
Karen’s role will help strengthen support for families across this growing region, increasing our capacity to connect with families locally, build relationships within regional communities and ensure more people can access the care and support they need closer to home.
For Jenni, having a teammate after years of being “me, myself and I” has been a welcome change.
A heartfelt thank you to the Percy Baxter Charitable Trust for partially funding this initiative.
As Jenni marks close to two decades with Very Special Kids, she still says she’s got more to give and continues for the love of her work and the people she helps.
“It is an absolute privilege to work for Very Special Kids,” she admits.
“I daily find myself sitting in the sacred spaces of families’ lives, hearing their stories, witnessing their brokenness, and walking beside them.
“To feel that trust sustains and motivates me in the work I do with all families.
“I would not wish to work anywhere else.”
