Supporting safer, stronger communities at Telethon 2026

The Telethon Family Festival is a day filled with families, fun and connection. For Outcare, being part of Telethon 2026 was also an opportunity to have some of the conversations that matter most. 

Conversations about feeling safe. About knowing who to turn to. About navigating life online. About looking after our health. And about making sure young people and the adults supporting them know that help is there when they need it. 

As a Telethon beneficiary, we were proud to spend the day alongside families and young people, sharing free resources designed to make those conversations a little easier. 

Helping families start important conversations 

Keeping young people safe is something we all have a role in. But knowing how to start a conversation about safety, particularly with children and teenagers, isn’t always easy. Sometimes, a simple prompt can help. 

At our Telethon stand, families could pick up a range of practical resources to take home and use together. 

• Our Tech Check cards encourage parents, carers and guardians to check in with young people about their online world. They’re a simple way to create space for conversations about what young people are seeing and experiencing online, how they’re feeling about it, and what they can do if something doesn’t feel right. 
• Our Emergency Cards help children think about who their trusted or “safe person” is and what they can do if they ever feel worried or unsafe. Using a simple, child-friendly format, they can help turn a big and sometimes difficult topic into a calm, positive conversation between a child and the people who care about them. 
• We also shared our Health Check cards, helping young people and families keep track of annual health checks, appointments and important health routines. 
• And because sometimes the hardest part of asking for help is knowing where to start, our Support Cards bring together useful organisations and phone support services for young people and adults across Western Australia. 

None of these resources has to start a big conversation. It might simply be a parent asking, “Who would you talk to if something didn’t feel right?” or “How are things going online?” 

The support that creates opportunities for young people 

Being part of Telethon is particularly meaningful for Outcare because its support extends well beyond the Family Festival. 

Telethon funding supports our Arclight program, which works alongside girls and young women aged 12 to 18 who are at risk of disengaging from education and are in contact with the justice system. 

Arclight takes a trauma-informed, strengths-focused approach, supporting each young person as a whole person. The program works to increase school attendance, reduce suspensions and antisocial behaviour, and create greater opportunities for young people to experience sustained success in their lives. 

Working alongside WA Police, Gilmore College and the City of Kwinana, the program recognises something we see across Outcare every day: young people are better supported when the people, services and communities around them work together.

Taking the conversations home 

Telethon 2026 was a wonderful opportunity to spend time in the community, meet families, share resources and give back to an organisation that continues to support young people through programs like Arclight. 

But perhaps the most important part is what happens after the festival. 

It’s the Tech Check card that makes its way onto the kitchen bench. The Emergency Card that helps a child identify someone they trust. The Health Check card that reminds a family to make that next appointment. Or the Support Card kept somewhere nearby, just in case it is ever needed. 

They are small tools, but they can help create important moments of connection. 

And we’ll continue doing what we can to support more of those moments, working alongside young people, families and communities to help create a safer, more connected Western Australia. 

Thank you to everyone who stopped by to say hello, pick up a resource or have a conversation with our team at Telethon 2026.