NSW: Good Beginnings Helping Before the Problems Show
Submitted by Geoff, 12 Oct 2011
To address the issue of young people disengaging from school and instead helping them strengthen their capacity for the future, UWA formed a coalition with Good Beginnings and invested in key school programs.
Good Beginnings provides practical, community-based parenting support programs to ensure children get the best start in life. It targets children in vulnerable communities through early intervention services and programs that are adaptive to the needs of the child,
the family and the community, with a key focus on the formative years. This means they work with communities to find suitable solutions to issues that impact on families.
Staff and trained volunteers run playgroups and other community-based programs to give parents the knowledge, support and confidence to provide their children with the care they need. Trust is also built over time so that parents can open up and share any particular issues they may be experiencing.
This approach greatly assisted Anna and her three year old daughter Emma. After spending time at a Good Beginnings playgroup, Anna shared the difficulties she was having moving her family nearer to medical assistance after her husband’s major surgery. Good Beginnings was able to put Anna in touch with agencies to secure them accommodation and household goods, ensuring them every chance for a healthy and positive future.