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Applicant:       National Family Violence Stream – Children and Parenting Support Services

Mission:          Social Mission

Audience:       Children and Parents Australia Wide with a reach to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Parents

Timeline:         6 months or to 30 June 2021

Cost:                $29,952.00

Includes:         ‘Cultural Story Time’ On-Line Coordinator and Video Production x2 days a week and a range of technical resourcing and advertising

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Introduction

What better way than to engage children in engaging fun activities that promote learning and skill development than using our ‘digital world’ tools such as computers, iPads and smart phones?

The Salvation Army’s Children and Parenting Support Service provides positive parenting support programs to parents across Melbourne’s outer western suburbs. The program is funded by the Commonwealth Government of Australia through the Department of Social Services and provides a wide range of innovative and evidence based parenting programs to parents. The aim of the program is to improve family functioning, promote strong aspirational parenting, and ultimately ensure that children get every opportunity to grow up in healthy functional and strong families.

In undertaking this work CaPSS, at times, do not get the opportunity to directly work with children, which is seen as a missed opportunity for a team that has the commitment to children and who are qualified, trained and experienced in early childhood development. The Salvation Army ‘Engaging Children in the Digital World’ grant provides the CaPSS program with the unique opportunity to expand into and explore the world of the children in a flexible and innovative manner.

The CaPSS LiVE Program

It is proposed that the ‘Engaging Children in the Digital World’ grant provide the CaPSS team with the ability to recommence delivery of the CaPSS LiVE program developed and piloted during the first wave COVID-19 pandemic. CaPSS LiVE is delivered online on a weekly basis via video with children and their parents via the CaPSS Facebook page to families.

CaPSS LiVE delivers a Cultural Storytime whereby a wide range of children’s books are read to our young ‘virtual’ audience by The Salvation Army’s ‘Nurture Aunt’ a local Aboriginal Community Leader and CaPSS Parenting Support Practitioner.

The amazing benefit to these on-line video resources is that they can remain on the FB page for children and parents to watch back later when they cannot be watched live and can be replayed.

The video and on-line resources allow children and parents the time to stop and engage in fun on-line activities together fostering relationships. These activities support the wellbeing and development of the child and promote ‘connection’ to others whilst at home experiencing social restrictions.  These restrictions, we know, can be isolating and have an adverse effect on physical health and mental wellbeing of children.

Cultural Story Time with ‘Nurture Aunt’ – Aunty Charmaine

Aunty Charmaine reading Welcome to Country https://www.facebook.com/1064767363611912/videos/161596741896803/  

In the initial stages of the pandemic, most children’s book publishers gave special permission for their books to be read online for a limited time period. Some of these have already expired, resulting us having to take down videos, whilst some have been extended to December, however, the CaPSS team would really like to see the program continue to the end of June 2021.

The books that we chose to read were predominantly books by and/or about Aboriginal Culture, Spirituality, history, and modern life. The importance of these stories for children, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal is paramount. The Victorian Department of Education and Training states that “Exposure to, and engagement with, Koorie and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural heritage will enrich all Australians and strengthen our unique identity”[1]. The importance of hearing the voices of Indigenous people[2] and of children reading stories where they can see themselves reflected are well documented. When children read stories of children who are like them it builds positive self-perception, communicates to them that they matter and have a place in society[3]. Moreover, when children read stories about children who are not like them, it build empathy and communicates to them that those other children matter and have a place in society.

CaPSS would like to be able to use this grant to secure the rights to read more stories to remain online ongoingly and to broadcast our ‘Cultural Story Time’ program on a National basis.  In addition, we would like to increase our production values through purchasing software and hardware that enables us to create videos with higher production values.

We are interested in collaborating with other expressions of The Salvation Army and would be keen to transition to or cross-post on other platforms such as Youtube.

Budget:

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Evaluation:

• The program will be fully evaluated within the same evidence-based reporting measurements and requirements of the CaPSS program.
• CaPSS will produce a report on the response to the program by children and their parents.
• These results can be used by The Salvation Army for promotional purposes both within and external to the organisation.

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Equipment Post Grant Funded 6 month period:

• Continued use if program is successful and alternative funding can be sourced
• If not then donate the equipment to The Salvation Army Corps Programs for example ‘Mainly Music’ or any of the Children’s Playgroups or other programs

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Grant Application Prepared by

Jocelyn Gemoh

Program Manager

Children and Parenting Support Service

 (m) 0475 985 194

jocelyn.gemoh@salvationarmy.org.au

Grant Application Approved by

Lorrinda Hamilton

General Manager Family Violence

Social Mission

lorrinda.hamilton@salvationarmy.org.au

25 August 2020