Early Years Places

Parent 1: We found out about the Kingston East neighbourhood group through the child health clinic out at Springwood and it's been really, really good. I just didn't know a service like this existed.

Parent 2: My family is all from New Zealand so I didn't know anyone that was having kids. Since I've started coming here, I've got several friends now, whose sons are all the same age.

Parent 3: I feel they are very supportive, I've made relationships with other parents as well as the teachers here.

Educator 1: Just seeing them form friendships and to just watch them blossom within their parenting skills. It's a really beautiful experience.

Parent 4: We do a lot of activities, craft, singing, reading and so many things.

Educator 2: Things like baby massage and music is introducing them to singing and having face-to-face contact with their carer and parent as well positive sensory benefits of touch.

Parent 5: The pre-Prep courses were great, and even before that the playgroups and praise groups they were great. I've done parenting courses here, they benefit the whole family so much.

Parent 2: Yeah there is all sorts of things you can get out of it, but the main one is socialisation for myself and for Bruce too.

Educator 3: In the first three years of a child's life, the brain is growing the most so the more experiences they have, and opportunities to be supported in their development, the more positively their brain will grow.

Parent 6: You get to talk to other mums and we have a chat about sleep and kind of feel good you are not in it alone.

Parent 7: Engaging with my child in a place like this I feel less isolated and it's good having that connection with community.

Parent 2: You can play with other kids and life is much better.

Parent 5: We're not perfect but we see these things and we learn these things like it just clicks at a perfect point in our lives.

Educator 4: Make some friends, socialise, let your kids have a run around, have a coffee with someone. Get out of the house.

Educator 1: The early years centre is a one stop shop where families with children under the age of 8 can come and feel supported and access many of the services we have.

Educator 2: We're an integrated service model so we work holistically to provide support for families.

Parent 1: It helps people whether they be parents, single parents or anyone who needs a leg up, they're here.

Parent 2: First I was very lonely, emotionally down, but when I started here you see a lot of parents you talk to, you discuss your problem you are going through. It helps me a lot.

Parent 3: They say it takes a village to raise a child and in a lot of ways that is definitely true, because it's important to know you are not feeling alone. You can get validation and support from other parents.

Educator 3: We have migrant settlement program, CAMS, tenancy, family support. We can refer our parents onto any of those services that they may need.

Educator 4: There's a variety of programs and different practitioners that specialise in certain areas that are here to improve the outcomes for children and their families.

Educator 5: We have a maternal and child health nurse come every week and provide information and education for parents with young babies

Parent 4: You can get your baby weighed and just to have some playtime and get social, very social.

Parent 5: I watch him flourish each week and just get that confidence and for me it's watching him grow and develop.

Parent 6: I just get piece of mind really, just to let me know I'm doing the right thing.

Parent 3: Gave me a lot of confidence, doing the parenting course while he also attended childcare.

Parent 4: They're very knowledgeable as most of them have had kids, you can always ask questions and it's just a nice place to hang out.

Parent 1: I was lost, I didn't know what to do. My wife was suffering postnatal depression, I was just like, I didn't, I was just pulling my hair out. So it was going somewhere very casually and just spend some time and everyone's happy for the kids to just play and have a good time, there's good food, good company and it just grew from there.

Educator 4: They don't have to tell their story over and over again to different organisations.

Educator 6: They come here, and they get really cared for and looked after and our work is really, in the moment with them.

Parent 7: You get advice, parenting advice, help, just a break.

Parent 5: This, I consider this my hub to come to if I need that information or those services, so otherwise I wouldn't actually know where to go.

Educator 3: I feel like we make a real difference in families' lives.

Parent 1: Always listening, always helpful, always friendly. Yeah that's, and real, real, that's, that's what impact I'm in.