The Bagot Community is rich with history and heritage including both traditional Aboriginal culture and lore and the more recent 75 years of Darwin history. The Community Medical Centre for example is recognised as historically significant. The medical centre is one of the few surviving buildings in Darwin from the period leading up to the Second World War and the Bombing of Darwin and the oral histories that can be told by the older Bagot residents are priceless.

The Bagot Community is managed by a Community Council whose members are Directors of the Bagot Aboriginal Corporation. This Council provides governance for the community and all associated programs.

Whilst there are a large number of positive aspects to the Bagot Community it is nevertheless a community in need. There are approximately 400 hundred residents – mostly permanent but there is also a large transient population. There are approximately 30 different clan groups and a similar range of language groups. This is a residualised population characterised by a range of social, economic and education issues resulting in an over representation in areas including domestic violence; child protection; low education and school attendance; and juvenile detention.

Child Australia has been working with the Bagot Community since 2011 and have developed deep, healthy reciprocal relationships with the children, families and community. The Bagot Aboriginal and Child Australia Partnership Program addresses the disproportionate disadvantage that exists within the Bagot Community through creating local solutions that will result in:

• Improved community governance, management and safety
• Increased employment rates for Bagot Community residents
• Improved school attendance and educational outcomes for Bagot Community children and young people
• Improved relationships between the Bagot Community and the broader community.

The Program consists of a suite of five interconnected projects:

1. Child and Family Education and Support Project – focussed on the primary carers and children from birth to 5.
2. Out of School Hours and Vacation Care Project.
3. Families for School Attendance Project – supporting families to create a stable home environment for their children which will promote school attendance and success.
4. Walking Bus Project – getting young children to school safely and on time.
5. Collective Impact Project – improving community governance and management.

Whilst each of these projects can stand alone it is their interconnectedness with each other and with other programs in the community that will result in long term change. The Collective Impact Project is establishing a methodology for coordinating the efforts, and maximising the impact, of all services in the Bagot Community and will build the capacity of the Community Council to manage that process into the future; The Out of School Hours (OSHC) and Vacation Care Project provides education and care in a safe and stable environment for the children of the Bagot Community; The Child and Family Education and Support Project builds on the existing OSHC Program and facility to provide integrated services that will support child health, wellbeing, early learning and school readiness through a families as First Teachers approach; The Families for School Attendance Project supports families to address the deeper issues, including unemployment, domestic violence and substance abuse that result in student poor attendance through a case management approach; and The Walking Bus Project will ensure that younger children in the community get to school each morning safely and in time for the school breakfast program.

The majority of employees in these programs are Bagot Community members. It is envisaged that these programs will grow into the future and become Community run programs. These programs are funded by the Australian Government through the Budget Based and Indigenous Advancement Strategy Funding Programs.

Child Australia West Pilbara Mobile Children’s services are funded by the Australian Government National Indigenous Australians Agency. The West Pilbara Mobile Children’s Service implements a Quality Education and Care program to remote Indigenous communities located in the Pilbara region of WA. Our program is influenced by the Early Years Learning Framework and reflects the individual context and culture of each community we implement the program on.

Our team travel to remote communities on a weekly basis and provide opportunities for children to learn and develop through intentional play experiences, offering them the opportunity to access quality educational programs prior to entering formal schooling.

Working in partnership with the community school teaching staff we ensure experiences offered are the most beneficial for the child as an individual and strive to ensure a smooth transition to school is facilitated for all children.

We support families to become involved in their child’s early learning in a way that is meaningful to them, creating opportunities for children to develop to their full potential in collaboration with their family.

Our experienced and qualified team include our Program Supervisor who has over 10 years’ experience in Children’s Services and holds a Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care (Community Services). Our Program Educator has over 10 years of Early Childhood experience and holds a Certificate III in Children’s Services.

A parent handbook with information and flyers on relevant caring information, and other supporting agencies are available at our playgroups. Download our flyer here.

Child Australia Sth Hedland Office
(08) 9172 1722

HIPPY Hedland (Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters) is an enrichment home based program that fosters a fun learning environment promoting a positive smooth transition to school. The program builds skills of parents and carers which not only facilitates the building and nurturing of strong relationships with families, children and community but additionally empowers and supports families to be their child’s first educator. This builds confidence and skills to inspire a real connection to and love of learning in the formative commencement of schooling as well as increase the parental involvement within the school setting.

The program focuses on the development of school readiness with an emphasis on pre-numeracy and pre-literacy experiences, concentration and listening with the intent of improving better educational outcomes for children. The delivery of the program is a 2 year commitment. The first year centering on the pre numeracy and pre literacy and the second year extending on this to strengthen concepts and skills. Program delivery provides individualised support to meet the needs of each family to support both the child and parent’s development in building self-confidence and skills to support their child’s success in lifelong learning.

The program is facilitated by the coordinator, with the aid of tutors, who support families to reflect on the workbooks and supplementary materials through home visits and group meetings and encourages families to consider the learning environment utilising the supplied educational tools for embracing and aiding the concept of ‘Everywhere Learning’.

HIPPY is a voluntary program. To be eligible to join the program, the family must have a child in the year before they start school (aged 4 by the 30th June), live in the catchment area where HIPPY is being delivered and be eager to participate and enhance their child’s learning journey.

Families may hear about HIPPY from a variety of sources throughout the community. Should a family be interested in enrolling their child they contact the local HIPPY Coordinator to be taken through the enrolment process, or arrange to attend an information and/or activity session.

For more information about HIPPY Hedland download the brochure here.

Alternatively please contact the HIPPY Program Coordinator on 0479 102 142 or by email at hippyhedland@childaustralia.org.au

HIPPY Geraldton (Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters) is a free, two year early learning program helping young children and their parents/ carers make a successful transition to Kindergarten and Pre-Primary. Empowering parents/carers to create a fun learning environment at home supports the school program and increases the chance of a successful school experience for the child.

HIPPY encourages a love of learning for the whole family, with the whole family and is shared through weekly home visits and regular group meetings by a trained HIPPY mentor and community service support. HIPPY families spend 10 to 15 mins a day doing fun educational activities and are provided with a HIPPY box, craft supplies, story books, activity packs and resources to share. We love it!

To enrol in HIPPY Geraldton, please contact the HIPPY Program Coordinators Alicia Horsman or Sharon Billing at
(08) 9923 2840
HIPPYGeraldton@childaustralia.org.au
0437 123 899

Download our brochure here.

The Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters is funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Social Services.

Child Australia co-chairs the Grow Well, Live Well Collective Impact Initiative based in Palmerston in the Northern Territory. Collective Impact helps organisations and communities work together to address complex social problems such as, ‘How do we support children and young people to grow up and reach their full potential?’. It recognises that one organisation or government department by itself cannot have all the answers and that we all need to work together to respond to social issues within the community that are impacting the development and experiences of children and young people.

Grow Well, Live Well commenced in 2014 and in October 2016 the Northern Territory Minister for Territory Families launched the first Palmerston State of the Children Report. The report is based on broad consultation with the community of Palmerston combined with available data.

The next stage of the initiative is to support the Palmerston Community to develop and implement a Community Child and Youth Action Plan.

For more information email grow_well_live_well@outlook.com or check out the facebook page and website.

Mid West Regional Children’s Services Plan

Peel Regional Children’s Services Plan