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The noted American paediatrician Benjamin Spock once said that child rearing was a long, hard job with the rewards not immediately obvious, the work undervalued and parents almost as vulnerable as their children. Add in a pandemic, increases in inflation leading to skyrocketing living costs and the instability of renting, and you can see why Home-Start Australia is a much-needed parenting support service for people facing social challenges.
By Tracey Hawkins
Home-Start Australia’s core belief is that children need a happy, secure childhood and that parents play the key role in giving them a good start in life to help achieve their full potential.
“Using programs such as Triple P, Circle of Security, Bringing Up Great Kids, 123 Magic and Parents under Pressure, we help people build their confidence in parenting and strengthen family relationships,” said Home-Start Australia’s CEO Michelle McDonell.
“We work alongside parents in their own homes. Every family has different needs, so the support they receive is tailored to their unique situation. We respond through a combination of home visits, group work, parenting education, and social events,” Michelle added.
Founded in 1973 in the United Kingdom (and now operating in 22 countries), the not for profit came to Australia in 1989. Home-Start Australia was borne out of a community organisation – the Family Action Centre at Newcastle University.
After attending a conference and hearing the UK founder speak about Home-Start, the staff members of the centre felt it was a good fit with the organisation. “We were already operating a parent support program called The Caravan Project,” said Michelle. “So, it made sense to use Home-Start to further connect with vulnerable families across the country.”
While head office is in the Newcastle suburb of New Lambton, Home-Start Australia offers community-based services in regional and metro areas of NSW and Victoria. There are currently 11 permanent staff and over 250 trained community volunteers.
“In NSW we are located in Newcastle, Kempsey, Foster/Tuncurry, Goulburn, Hay, Cowra, Tumut and Bowral,” said Michelle.
“We also have an affiliated scheme in Bendigo and Melbourne metro with Baptcare. In Shepparton we work as part of the Greater Shepparton Lighthouse Project.”
Key to the success of Home-Start Australia is a highly-trained team of volunteers who support families on an individual basis and help them form strong connections to the available resources in their local community.
“Each community is unique, so we tailor our programs to suit their requirements. Our programs and staff are embedded in the communities we serve,” said Michelle.
Volunteers complete an intensive course in 20 subject areas, and there is flexibility as to how long volunteers work with a particular family, ranging from six months to a year.
The hours spent with families each week start from two hours, but many have more – depending on how much a volunteer would like to give and how much support is needed.
Home-Start Australia works collaboratively with other organisations to deliver its programs. The Soul Warmers café in Bowral, run by the Highlands Christian Church, offers families free weekly groceries, a hot meal and a cuppa and the opportunity to meet other new parents.
Weekly discussions at the café include children’s nutrition, budgeting, and presentations about the services and support available in the Wingecarribee Council area.
“Parents can also attend a supported playgroup and emotional coaching courses,” said Michelle.
Families that Home-Start Australia works with are affected by a range of social and emotional challenges including isolation, loneliness, unemployment, financial stress, and the need for secure housing. But it is also the everyday tasks where assistance can be required.
“We help people with their cooking, shopping, medical and professional appointments,” said Michelle. “Many new parents do not have family close by and may feel overwhelmed with juggling parenting, housework and thinking they are not a good parent.
“They may have multiple children in the family such as twins or babies and toddlers. Every scenario is different, that is why we offer practical support but also take the time to listen and to reassure our parents”.
The group also works with grandparents who are caring for their grandchildren, indigenous families, parents born overseas with no family connections in Australia and refugees who are adapting to a new life here.
Other community building initiatives include the Wiradjuri Story Poles Project.
Commencing in 2021, the project has promoted inclusion and education about Indigenous culture to schools in western NSW including Caragabal Public School, Greenthorpe Public School, Quandialla Public School, and Grenfell Preschool.
In recent years, Michelle says the organisation has helped families impacted by natural disasters and health emergencies such as the Covid-19 pandemic.
While the pandemic changed the way Home-Start could operate physically, they were still able to provide families with emotional and practical support.
“We made sure our families had accurate and up to date information about Covid and legal obligations such as public health orders. Where possible we provided parenting programs and guidance via zoom.”
While the restrictions reduced the ability for families to participate in social activities, volunteers worked in new ways to continue making a difference.
In the western regional town of Hay, for example, families on properties out of town were provided with groceries and items such as activity packs for children.
“Our family worker travelled one and a half hours to deliver groceries and care packages for people who were not able to come into town,” said Michelle.
“As we transitioned out of lockdown, we developed new ways to stay engaged with families, so they felt connected to the community. We went on socially distanced river, lake, and beach walks. We held driveway chats with parents and driveway story time with children. We held picnics in parks and in backyards.”
The ongoing economic climate means that Home-Start Australia continues to be a much-needed service. Michelle said the organisation has constant requests from communities who want the program implemented in their region.
“The difficulty is getting enough funding to set up and run a program. In most areas it is easy to get volunteers. They are mainly women as they know what it is like to have or not have support while parenting a young family. Many of our volunteers have been with us for 15 years or more,” she said. Michelle McDonell has been with the organisation for 26 years.
As a not-for-profit Home-Start Australia requires donations, fundraising and grants to conduct their services.
Fundraising has included raffles, utilising return and earn recycling and donation tins.
They have also received grants from sources such as Sisters of Charity Foundation, the Inger Rice Foundation, Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Council grants, NSW government grants and donations from Hunter Valley Coal Chain Coordinator, Orica, and Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group.
In 2022, the organisation was able to receive a community grant to buy a car to use as part of their home visit service.
All donations help purchase materials and resources for activities such as supported play groups and other community events as well as buying laptops and IT equipment to help families experiencing hardship.
The social impact of what Home-Start Australia does shows that appropriate support can be life changing.
“We know that what we do is positive for both the families, staff, and volunteers. Some volunteers stay friends with a family long after their initial skills were needed. Another has said that volunteering with us ‘saved her soul.’ “We know that strong families make strong communities,” said Michelle, and every day, that’s our goal.”
To volunteer: www.homestartaustralia.org\locations
To Donate: www.homestartaustralia.org\donate
Contact details: www.homestartaustralia.org
Phone: 02 4952 9488
Email: [email protected]
