Page 5296 - Week 12 - Thursday, 28 October 2010
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world shares”. Sharing is often one of those practical values that we teach our children early in their lives, mainly as a conflict-resolution mechanism with siblings and peers. But a caring world which shares is a theme that applies as much to adults as it does to children.
This week is a great chance for adults to celebrate our children—their talents, skills and abilities—and to be mindful of their needs at the same time. This week, schools, playgroups, childcare centres, kindergartens, cultural groups, libraries and community groups have all been involved. If members will indulge me for one moment, I would like to mention one fantastic event which relates to multicultural affairs.
Manuka childcare centre ran a multicultural day on Monday as part of Children’s Week, inviting staff and children to bring in an item from another country to share with groups, such as a photo or souvenir. Various aspects of culture were explored with the children through storytelling and music.
Each year the ACT Children’s Week Committee provides small grants to many groups to assist with the planning of their activity during Children’s Week, which runs from 23 to 31 October. I would like to take the opportunity to thank the ACT Children’s Week Committee, who have worked hard in partnership with many local organisations and agencies to deliver an interesting and varied program of events.
My department has also played a role this week, as the ACT government provides significant support for children and their families across the ACT. The child and family centres located in Gungahlin and Tuggeranong work for children, their families and the local community to improve outcomes to enable children to reach their full potential.
As members would be aware, a third child and family centre is currently being constructed at Kippax in west Belconnen, and I expect that this will be ready for operation early in 2011. The model of service delivery at child and family centres is very much focused on providing prevention and early intervention responses, which means intervening early in the life of a child and early in the life of the problem. Services are collaborative and well coordinated, and the centre’s model is successful because it genuinely seeks to remove barriers and assertively connect children and families and actively support them across a range of services.
However, this is not a model that can be delivered by the centre staff alone. It is truly a whole-of-government and community response to families and young children. ACT Health provide a range of services, such as maternal and child health clinics, which focus on child health, development, growth and care of babies. Therapy ACT offer speech and physiotherapy drop-in services, and the Department of Education and Training work in partnership with the centre staff to deliver programs, such as paint and play at Kambah and the Southern Cross early childhood school.
I note that some members here recently took up an opportunity to visit the Gungahlin child and family centre to hear about and see first hand what a great addition it is to Canberra families. I think it is great that in Children’s Week we can reflect on the partnership not only of those here but across the Canberra community where government and non-government agencies alike work to support children in the ACT.
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