Community Connection & Support

These sessions include resilience workshops using learning tools such as 123 Imagine Coaching and Strengths Cards to start children talking with peers and parents about the emotions attached to going to school

Little Readers- Lifetime Learners is a program that raises awareness around the importance of early language development and early literacy. Developing early literacy skills makes it easier for children to learn to read. Children who start school with these skills have an advantage that carries with them throughout their school years and all through their life. Specially trained volunteers visit families with small children in their homes and read, count, sing and play with children and parents  for a short time each week.

In this early morning walking group, local mums have joined together to walk their kids to school, then continue on to a park or café for social connection, exercise and parenting strategies. The group provides an opportunity for parent-to-parent support, parenting discussion and guidance from the Home-Start Family Worker. Our walks provide social and community connection opportunities, a sense of belonging, light exercise and fun with others.

Curious & Creative Kids is designed to give children an opportunity to be curious about the way things work and what they can create with re-purposed items. We gather old appliances and furniture so children can dismantle each object and reassemble them a creative way. We provide real-world tools like screwdrivers and hammers for the children and provide opportunities for children to connect with each other and their own creativity.

Sensory Play Activities are run to help parents understand the importance of sensory play, especially for kids on the Autism spectrum, and to understand that sensory play can look disorganized and even dirty. Our goal is to teach parents that that play impacts on all our senses- smell, touch, sound- which is key for healthy brain development, and that play is allowed to be messy.  We also aim to improve parent and child interaction by having fun playing together.

This water safety awareness program is for parents with young children. Children and babies can drown in just a few centimetres of water, so being alert to all kinds of water hazards is crucial. The program teaches children water survival skills, water awareness on properties with cattle troughs & dams, being safe around baths, buckets, pools and rivers. The course includes child resuscitation training for the parents. Non-participating children receive early literacy and gross motor activities.