The community health service is seeking funding to provide paediatric services to children in family services and out of home care to enhance their health and well-being outcomes.

Ballarat Community Health general manager Katherine Cape told The Courier there was a great need for accessible proactive health services for young children who have experienced abuse and neglect.

"There is a direct correlation between adverse life events and detrimental impacts on health and development in childhood," she said.

"Children who come to the attention of child protection or children who have to be removed from the family are much more likely to have health and developmental problems. These children can have difficulty accessing proactive health services."

Ballarat Community Health launched a specialised clinic for children aged zero to five who are clients of family services in May, with the support of funding from the Central Highlands Family Services Alliance.

It is hoped funding raised through Run For A Cause will allow the expansion of the service to include children from out of home care.

Children and young people who are relocated from an environment of maltreatment to an out of home care placement are known to have higher rates of complex and chronic health conditions than other children.

One Australian study found 97 per cent of children in out of home care who received a comprehensive health screen had a medical, developmental, emotional and/or behavioural problem.

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At the clinic, each child and their family or carer has access to a paediatrician and a child health worker.

The paediatrician completes a full assessment of the child's health and and development, creates a plan of management to address any issues and recommends supports and treatments.

The child health worker supports the family to attend the clinic and follow up on treatment plans.

Ms Cape said the clinic was about trying to offer early intervention support to address health and development issues in kids that are most at risk.

"We know if we can get that support early then the chance of going to school ready to learn and able to participate in learning is much improved."

Watch the video about Run For A Cause below.

Ballarat Community Health is one of seven charity partners for the Ballarat Foundation's charity fun run event Run For A Cause.

Participants can choose to support a charity and make an extra donation when they register for the event.

"Run For A Cause will continue to bolster the work of this clinic and expand it. It is the most disadvantaged children who will benefit and we ask people that are registering in the run to select us so we can keep up this crucial work. Every little bit counts," Ballarat Community Health chief executive Sean Duffy said.

"This is life changing - not just impacting on the child - but of course the family as well," Duffy said.

Registrations are now open. Visit run4ac.org/ for more information and details on the other charity partners.

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