A playgroup for Aboriginal children

Here in Port Adelaide in South Australia we run a weekly Playgroup for Aboriginal children aged from birth to school age and their carers. 

 

 The focus is on children with developmental delay or disability, although all are welcome.  We have the support of a speech and occupational therapists on a monthly basis or more often if new families who have concerns start.  These experts are able to follow up with home visits if the family engages and requests help. 

 

We are lucky to have Gillian on staff to run the groups and do the intensive networking required to enable the families to attend.  Gillian is an Adnyamathanha woman from the northern Flinders Rangers area and a qualified Early Childhood Worker.  

 

We have two main groups who attend.  Local families who are often the children and grandchildren of the “stolen generation” who face the resulting issues such as search for identity, difficulties parenting, depression and substance misuse.  The second group are people who are visiting or moving from ‘the Lands’ in the north of South Australia and the Northern Territory.  The challenges for this second cohort are around language, as English is usually the second of third language, finding housing and adjusting to living in a new, busy city culture.  

 

The program this group is run by is UnitingCare Wesley Port Adelaide’s Indigenous Parenting Support Service and is funded by the Commonwealth Government.

 

Jan Fehlmann

Coordinator Aboriginal Programs

UnitingCare Wesley Port Adelaide

Phone 08 84402293

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