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Today is Early Childhood Educators’ Day, a day to acknowledge and celebrate the hard work of Australia’s educators in early learning services, including long day care, family day care, kindergarten, and occasional care.

At AnglicareSA, our early childhood educators who work within our Daphne Street Childcare Centre, whether in our mainstream childcare program or Autism-Specific Early Learning and Care Centre (ASELCC), are more than just educators.

They’re helping young children grow, learn, and reach their full potential.

For AnglicareSA Early Learning Room Leader Caroline Ramages, being able to work with children, inspire them, and nurture their development was all she wanted to do when she finished school.

“I’ve been in the early learning space for 29 years – it’s the only job I have ever done, and I love it,” she said.

“Being there to educate and help children with their development, and seeing their faces light up when they look at you is so rewarding.”

As an Early Learning Room Leader, Caroline makes sure the children, their families, and employees feel supported and comfortable in the room she oversees, which is for children under two.

“I oversee the other educators, mentor them, and make sure the room is running in accordance with the centre and AnglicareSA’s goals,” she said.

“Creating a sense of belonging is a large part of what we do as educators. We want the children to feel they are safe and belong in the space, and we want their families to experience that as well.

“Educators need to be mindful of the responsibility they have. Parents are leaving their children with you, and they don’t know you. We have to build relationships with families and make them feel comfortable to trust us in this environment.”

Caroline said being an early childhood educator was so much more than just looking after children while their parents were gone.

“You’re shaping the first few years of a child’s life, and I don’t think people really understand the amount of work, time, and passion that goes into programming and planning children’s learning,” she said.

“Babies and young children need to feel secure and safe, and the role of educators is to create that sense of belonging before we can branch into learning.”

From sand art to planting seeds, creating coasters, and everything in between, there’s never a shortage of fun at Kids Club.

Funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services, AnglicareSA’s Kids Club is a free program for children aged 5-12 years living in the Playford area.

Kids Club Worker Leonie Bush said the program is designed to extend and enrich children’s learning, development, and wellbeing in a safe environment.

“The program is a safe place where children can come after school to grab a snack, do crafts, connect with others their age, and learn new skills,” Leonie said.

“We also welcome and encourage parents to stay and do the activities with their children and engage in their children’s learning.”

Leonie said that attending Kids Club has its benefits for parents too.

“Attending Kids Club is an opportunity for families to connect with the wider community,” she said.

“Through their children, parents expand their network and build friendships with other parents. It is just as important for parents to make friends as it is for their children.”

Charlie loves to visit Kids Club each week.

For Cassara, Kids Club provided an opportunity for her two children, Malakai and Charlie, to disconnect from technology and socialise with others.

“The program gets them away from screens and introduces them to new activities,” Cassara said.

“My boys can interact with children of different ages and cultural backgrounds at Kids Club.”

Going to Kids Club is Cassara and her children’s favourite part of the week.

“We’ve been coming to Kids Club for more than nine months and we never want to miss a session,” Cassara said.

“I can bond with my children and do the activities alongside them. They have made friends with the other children and have so much more confidence. I have made friendships with the other parents who attend.”

Malakai and Charlie’s favourite activity?

“Anything messy,” Cassara said. “They love playing with slime or doing crafts.”

Join the fun

Kids Club runs weekly on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays during the school term.

  • Mondays: 3pm to 4:30pm at The Precinct, 112 Coventry Road, Smithfield Plains
  • Tuesdays and Wednesdays: 3:15pm to 5pm at The Platform, 73 Elizabeth Way, Elizabeth

Kids Club also offers a program to keep the kids entertained during the school holidays.

For more information, please contact Leonie on 0407 977 351.

AnglicareSA and the City of Onkaparinga recently joined forces in a pilot project helping people not only shop smarter and healthier – but importantly cut down on their grocery bills.

Led by the City of Onkaparinga and AnglicareSA’s Communities for Children Onkaparinga, the Smart Shopper Tours also brought together The Green Gourmet, Rotary Club of Seaford, and Drakes Supermarket for two-hour sessions to help strengthen family meal planning skills.

The sessions were hosted at Drakes at the Seaford Central Shopping Centre with participants learning how to shop for and cook with healthier, less expensive foods, understand food labels, shop based on the seasons, all while making savings by buying for better value.

Janine Carger, AnglicareSA Manager, Children and Families South, said the Smart Shopper Tours were a fantastic initiative at a time when many families are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.

“Food security, healthy cheap meals, and opportunities for connection in the community for children and their families featured strongly in a community wide consultation, undertaken by our Communities for Children Onkaparinga team,” Janine said.

“This consultation highlighted a real interest and need within the community for more information and ways to save money in the supermarket.

“Communities for Children reached out to the City of Onkaparinga, which was already working on food security within the community, regarding collaborating on developing a pilot program relevant to and within our own community.”

The Smart Shopper Tour pilot was attended by 20 community members over the four sessions, with an equal split of families with young children and older adults with adult children.

“At each of the sessions, the group was supportive of each other and shared ideas,” she said. “They were very engaged, asked lots of questions, and were eager to learn.

“Many of those who attended revealed they had challenges with ‘fussy eaters’ or dietary restrictions and through the program were able to gain many tips and tricks to help them eat healthier, including increasing their intake of vegetables and replacing snack foods with healthier and money-saving options.”

The Tours were facilitated by The Green Gourmet’s Andrea Ball who is a local food educator and recipe developer with a focus on eating and cooking local, seasonal, affordable foods.

She has extensive experience in health literacy and community engagement programs with young families.

Each participant received a $15 Drakes voucher to spend at the workshop thanks to the Rotary Club of Seaford with the tour finishing at Seaford Library with a recipe development workshop.

City of Onkaparinga Mayor Moira Were said cost of living was front of mind for many in the community.

“The Smart Shopper Tour pilot program was created in response to the rising cost of living, reduced income and lack of access to good food, which are leading to increased food insecurity,” she said.

“Partnering with AnglicareSA Communities for Children was invaluable because it allowed us to target local families who would benefit the most from the program. The support of Drakes and Rotary Club of Seaford ensured a successful pilot program that provided us with plenty of learnings and feedback for next time.”

The Mix social groups in the north and south of Adelaide are helping autistic children to engage in social activities in a safe environment without judgement or shame.

The groups, run by Diverse Learning and funded by AnglicareSA’s Communities for Children Playford and Onkaparinga programs, also welcome siblings and families outside the autism community.

Founder and Director of Diverse Learning, Meg Eusope, said the social pressure that autistic children feel to ‘fit in’ (known as masking) in the community is thrown out the door at The Mix.

“It’s a space where the children can fully be themselves without judgement or imposition of how they ‘should’ behave,” Meg said.

She said constant masking could lead to poor mental health outcomes for autistic people, including burnout, social anxiety, and depression.

That’s why The Mix focuses on building self-esteem.  

“We ensure that everyone involved in The Mix feels safe, supported, valued, and respects others’ differences and interests,” Meg said.

“Interacting with others and getting involved in different activities helps attendees build confidence and self-esteem, which boosts their overall mental health.”  

Autistic people might encounter difficulties in social situations, as behaviours like avoiding eye contact and struggling with small talk can be misunderstood.

Meg said The Mix aimed to reduce the overwhelming feeling autistic young people might experience when socialising by incorporating special interests into group activities.

“Special interests are not just accommodated, but embraced, encouraged and celebrated at The Mix,” she said.

“For each session, we organise a range of activities based on a theme the children are interested in, including science, crafts, games, and physical activities.”

Georgina, Andi, Marguerita, Lani, Meg, and Bel from Diverse Learning.

Gen and her son Will (pictured in main image) attend every session of The Mix and said they had found a community of people who are accepting of him.

“He can be goofy, express himself, and stim in joy without anyone even blinking,” Gen said.

“It feels great to be in an environment that normalises things.”

Now, almost a year later, Gen said she had noticed changes in Will far beyond expectations.

“When we first started attending The Mix, Will was adamant that he was going to keep homeschooling forever,” Gen said.

“When he started experiencing social success with the other kids and found safe adults, he started experimenting with doing more activities.

“This year, Will decided to go to school and has successfully transitioned. Without the foundation of the success he built at The Mix, I think that might have been some years off.

“He is more confident, resilient and able to speak up for his needs.”

Gen said attending the group had also been beneficial for her as a parent of neurodivergent children, including Will.

“The program staff genuinely care and take the time to look after the whole family’s needs. I have been able to let my guard down for a while, knowing Will was safe – this is not something we often experience in group settings.

“It can be isolating in a high-needs household, and the group has been a reliable way for me to connect with others and feel supported.”

AnglicareSA’s Communities for Children programs in Playford and Onkaparinga are funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services.

Get Mix-ing

The Mix is held fortnightly during school terms on Thursday evenings from 5pm to 6:30pm and is designed for children aged 8-14. Siblings are welcome to join the fun under parental supervision.

  • The Mix North: The Platform, 73 Elizabeth Way, Elizabeth
  • The Mix South: Wardli Youth Centre, 13 McKinna Road, Christie Downs

For more information, please call 8102 8340 or visit Diverse Learning’s website.

It was all about dribbling into fun this school holidays, with AnglicareSA’s Playford Communities for Children teaming up with Community Partner Yara Family Connections to host a free basketball event.

The event at Smithfield Plains’ John McVeity Centre saw children aged between 5 and 12 years old run some basketball drills, connect with others, and expel some energy.

For the children involved, it might just be a fun day out, but this school holiday basketball event is part of a broader community picture.

It’s one of the many events that AnglicareSA runs in partnership with another service.

Melissa Ruthen, co-director of Yara Family Connections, said the Community Partner model worked because it was relationship based.

“I’ve partnered with almost every major organisation, not only in the northern suburbs but throughout the metropolitan area,” Melissa said. “AnglicareSA partners very well, their communication is exceptional, and they share information easily.

“A lot of agencies are still in that competitive mode where they think they can’t partner because they’re competing for the same funding. AnglicareSA doesn’t think like that.”

Amita Rana-Marjara, Community Development Worker at AnglicareSA, said partnerships within the community were crucial to the work the organisation does.

“We look at what the gaps are in the area,” Amita said. “We work alongside other services as much as we can to make sure there are activities and services that families can access around Playford.”

AnglicareSA Community Development Worker Jayde Milburn said Yara Family Connections was a perfect choice to partner with for this event because of its strong ties in the local area.

“Yara Family Connections is doing amazing things in our community,” Jayde said. “They have so much passion for the community.”

The organisation, which launched in May 2023, offers services exclusively for First Nations peoples after the directors saw a gap in mainstream services and wanted to create safe services for Aboriginal peoples.

Melissa said the event was not so much about the basketball as it was about teaching the children resilience, especially from a cultural leader and proud Kaurna, Narrunga, Ngarrindjeri man like Trevor Pearce, who is one of Yara’s co-directors.

It’s clearly an approach that’s working, with some of the children so eager to play basketball and interact with mentors like Trevor that they arrived half an hour early.

Through similar events and partnerships with organisations like AnglicareSA. Melissa said the trust circle becomes broader for people to access the services and support they might need.

“We’re trying to widen the trust circle and the partnership approach does work,” she said. “Even though I’m promoting another business, people are going to benefit from that.

“We can invest the time and leverage the community’s trust to say AnglicareSA are people that Yara trusts, and they will look after you.

“It’s always about community and about what’s right for them.”

Learn more about AnglicareSA’s Playford Communities for Children program online or through the Facebook group.