Communities for Children

YWCA NSW is engaged by the Australian Government as the facilitating partner for this initiative using a community development approach for both Lismore and Murwillunbah.

Communities for Children provides support for local communities to develop early childhood initiatives. This project focuses on supporting the health and early development needs of young children aged 0-5 years, supporting parents and building child-friendly communities.

YWCA Communities for Children’s vision is that by 2008, Lismore and Murwillumbah will support their children to have the best possible start in life so that they arrive at school happy, healthy and ready to learn.

For More Information:
Email: c4cmanager@ywcansw.com.au
Phone: 02 6625 5803

Funded by Australian Government Department of Families Communities and Indigenous Affairs

Communities for Children - Lismore

Lismore Communities for Children will support the Lismore community with funding of $3 million over the next four years (2004-2008) for local early childhood development initiatives. Initiatives will focus on supporting the health and early development needs of young children aged 0 to 5 years, supporting parents and building child friendly communities.

The YWCA NSW works in partnership with local stakeholders to provide the services Lismore Communities for Children is funded by the Australian Government under the Stronger Families and Communities Strategy.

Communities for Children Strategies:

Breastfeeding Support Strategy: Community Partner: Northern Rivers Division of General Practice - Family Care Centre. The primary objective of this strategy is to increase the proportion of children in Lismore who are exclusively breastfed until at least six months of age. This strategy provides follow up assistance to women experiencing difficulties establishing and sustaining breastfeeding, provision of resources to community based organisations to develop parent support networks for breastfeeding.
Bonding & Attachment Strategy: Community Partner: Family Support Network. The intention of this strategy is to build community based supports to strengthen attachment and to ensure that early professional support is available for parents suffering attachment difficulties such as ante/postnatal distress, or relationship difficulties.
Lismore Let's Read: Community Partner: Richmond-Tweed Regional Library. An early reading program to encourage parents/carers to read to their very young children.
Parenting Innovation Fund: (managed by YWCA). Small grants of $1000 each are provided to community and parent groups to assist and promote the development of innovative parenting support networks in Lismore.
Parenting Lismore's Way: Community Partner: Southern Cross University Centre for Children and Young People. This strategy aims to develop and distribute parenting resources that reflect local needs, including the need of Lismore’s Aboriginal community, and promote a realistic understanding of parenting in Lismore.
Coordinate/ supplement Parent Education: (managed by YWCA). This strategy aims to develop effective ways of engaging parents/carers in parent education programs. New models of parent education are developed and trialled, with a focus on engaging families who are reluctant to engage in parent education programs.
Links to exising DV prevention projects: (Managed by YWCA) This strategy aims to reduce the number of children exposed to Domestic Violence in Lismore.
Ready Set School: Community Partner: Lismore Family Day Care Inc. This strategy addresses concerns raised in consultations about the relatively recent increase (over the last 5 years) in the number of children in Lismore entering school who have challenging behaviours and communication delays. The primary objectives of this strategy are to improve the communication and social skills of children by the time they enter school. Secondary benefits will include improved parent/child relationships, improved parenting competence and style, improved community interest and capacity to own and respond to early childhood issues, and a community that is inclusive of all families and cultures.
Lismore the Child Friendly City - a community development project managed by YWCA to improve family friendly infrastructure in Lismore, develop broad community support and awareness of early childhood issues and improve service coordination.
Child & family sector professional development – (managed by YWCA), this strategy includes the provision of a cross-disciplinary training and seminar program for staff and volunteers in child and family services in Lismore. The delivery of skills based training on practice issues such as strengths-based practice, family engagement and early child development.
Aboriginal Early Childhood. Community Partner: Shared Vision Aboriginal Corporation. This strategy has 2 components: a parent mentoring program, and the development of culturally appropriate resources on parenting.

For More Information:

Email: c4cmanager@ywcansw.com.au
Phone: 02 6625 5803

Funded by Australian Government Department of Families Communities and Indigenous Affairs

Communities for Children Project - Murwillumbah

The Murwillumbah ‘Communities for Children’ Projects support early childhood health and development initiatives. Most strategies work in partnership with existing services and target parents and their children aged 0-5 years. The vision is that by 2008, Murwillumbah children will arrive at school happy, healthy and ready to learn. Development and sustainability of an early childhood services interagency is also underway. All project contracts are due for completion in June 2008. Communities for Children is an Australian Govt initiative, funded through the department of Family and Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaCSIA).

Communities for Children Strategies:

Our Baby. Community Partner: Save the Children Australia. This strategy provides support for parents from Murwillumbah's surrounding villages to access specialist services and will support expectant and new parents by identifying and distributing ante and post natal resources.
Parent Education and Support. Community Partner: Save the Children Australia. This strategy aims to provide a coordinated approach to providing parenting education in Murwillumbah and its surroundig villages. A range of parenting education modles will be made available to parents, in a manner that engages the most vulnerable parents and that is inclusive of all parent groups. Access will support the traditionally isolated families in Murwillumbah and surrounding villages.
Ready for School. Community Partner: Tweed Valley Early Childhood Intervention Service Inc. This straetgy is to provide both universal and targeted activities addressing the developmental needs and school readiness of young children in Murwillumbah and surrounding villages. The skills base and resources of early childhood educators will be increased.
Murwillumbah the Child Friendly Community. Managed by YWCA, this strategy includes the Communites for Children Innovation Fund and Family Week celebrations. The CfC Innovation Fund provides small grants of $1000 each to community and parent groups to assist and promote the development of innovative parenting support networks in Murwillumbah and its surrounding villages.
Murwillumbah Working Together - Managed by YWCA, this strategy includes 2 activities: Developing Service Interagency and Professional Development. An interagency structure supports the coordination of children's family and health services to develop protocols for increased referral pathways for families. The service interagency forums identify training and professional development needs of staff within these sectors.

For More Information
Contact YWCA NSW Murwillmbah Office: 02 6625 5803
Email: c4cmanager@ywcansw.com.au

Funded by Australian Government Department of Families Communities and Indigenous Affairs