Early Years Places provide vital assistance to families with children aged between 0-8. They are a one-stop-shop that support the varying needs of families and their children with services including infant and developmental health checks, playgroups, infant massage classes, parenting programs, family support services, community outreach and referral pathways.
Since April 2022, The Benevolent Society’s team in Mount Morgan and Gracemere have delivered Early Years Place support to local families.
Benevolent’s support in the region initially started as a mobile ‘Reach Out & Play’ playgroup in Gracemere, and a ‘Play & Grow’ group in Mount Morgan.
This has grown into an Early Years Place that provides a one-stop shop for local families to access supports including parenting workshops, and group sessions helping children and families with the transition into kindergarten or prep programs.
On Friday 17 July, Benevolent’s team will host the Mount Morgan Gold Rush Family Festival to bring together local families to celebrate community, connect, and learn about local support available.
An afternoon of fun and connection for families
The inaugural event will take place at the Mount Morgan School of Arts from 3:00PM to 6:00PM.
It has been organised through collaboration between The Benevolent Society and other local community and government organisations including Uniting Care, The Smith Family, Queensland Maternal Child Health, Department of Education, HIPPY, and Central Queensland Indigenous Development (CQID).
“We can’t wait to welcome families from Mount Morgan and the surrounding region for an afternoon of fun and connection,” said Marisa Phillips, Manager – Child, Youth and Family Services Queensland at The Benevolent Society.
Local children and families will be treated to a variety of entertainment, including a petting zoo and face painting. Families will also be able to check out some of the wonderful cars that will be competing for the Gold Rush Hill Sprints on Saturday 18 July and Sunday 19 July.
The event will also give local families the opportunity to learn more about the local support services available to them.
Helping access support
Parents and carers will be able to meet with specialists, share their experiences and start discussions around any support or assistance they may need.
“Early Years Places are often the first door a family walks through when they need support. That early connection makes all the difference. By bringing play-based learning, parenting support and a range of specialist services together in one place, these spaces help identify challenges early, build trust with families, and support children to develop the social, emotional and language skills they need to thrive.
“Events like this are so important to not only building community connection, but helping parents and children learn more about what programs and activities are available in the community” added Marisa.
For more information on our range of Early Childhood Years services and programs, click here or call 1800 236 762.