Supporting families and communities in western NSW
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Training Opportunities

This strategy aims to increase the capacity of the ‘service system’ to respond to the needs of children and families by strengthening networks, coordinating the availability of early childhood resources and facilitating training opportunities.

ACTIVITY 1: TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES – completed July 2008

In partnership with Lady Gowrie Child Centre (Dubbo) a Communities for Children Training Opportunities Project Officer:

  • Conducted and reviewed two training needs surveys and audit of existing opportunities
  • Established, up-dated and expanded a skills register of local expertise and trainers
  • Developed and distributed four Training Calendars
  • Coordinated 14 training opportunities
  • Evaluated the Training Calendar and training provided.

Training opportunities spanned a range of subject areas including cultural awareness, story telling, positive communication for effective behaviour management, assessment of children’s needs, engaging fathers and supporting children and families through loss and grief.

“It’s great to have training put on that is exactly tailored for us” Early Childhood Worker after attending an Anna Jarret storytelling workshop.

ACTIVITY 2:  EARLY CHILDHOOD COLLECTION – Completed November 2008

In partnership with Bubblegum Inc., the Macquarie Regional Library and local Communities for Children Early Childhood Committees, Early Childhood Collections have been established in Dubbo, Narromine, Trangie and Wellington. The collections contain resources and educational materials relating to the pre and post natal, play and transition to school times of early childhood and are available through local branches of the Macquarie Regional Library. The collections provide easy access to quality early childhood resources, enhancing support to families and improving the capacity of agencies to provide early childhood education and intervention services. While a number of resources were previously available in the area, they were either not accessible or known about by the broader service sector, or not suitable for local needs.  

The resources developed under the Communities for Children Us Through Arts activity will also be included in the Early Childhood Collections, ensuring culturally appropriate resources are available to the community.