Team Spotlight: Home Start, Mother Goose and Supported Playgroup Team in Bendigo

 

 

Baptcare runs the Home-Start, Supported Playgroup, and Parent-Child Mother Goose Programs in Bendigo. Jane, Home-Start Team Leader; Angie, Group Facilitator, Mother Goose Program and Supported Playgroup; and Jess, Group Facilitator, Mother Goose Program and Supported Playgroup, are our wonderful team members, dedicated to helping families and connecting them with strong support within the local Bendigo and Macedon Ranges communities. Keep reading to learn more about these exceptional employees, their work, and why they love what they do.

1. What are the Home Start and the Parent-Child Mother Goose programs?

Jess: Mother Goose is a bonding and attachment program established in Canada and the United States in the late 80s. It was designed to fill the gap of bonding, attachment and nurturing between parent and child. The program came to Australia in 2008. We’ve been doing the Parent-Child Mother Goose Program for about 10-15 years here in Bendigo. It is an excellent program for families. Watching children and their parents/carers grow together through the program is fantastic.

We’ve had some non-verbal children come through the program who have made progress since attending. We use key sign wording in the program. Mother Goose also includes cultural aspects, including a Yorta Yorta lullaby, an Acknowledgement of Country opens each session, and the group begins with a song called ‘Sailing’. There is a lot of music involved in the Mother Goose Program.

Angie: It’s a program that supports literacy, language, and all domains of a child’s development. It allows parents and families to connect with other community members. We also do a Supported Playgroup once a week. This is a place where parents can access support when needed. It is a very safe and non-judgmental place. We have guest speakers from other community organisations visit a couple of times a term, based on the needs of parents seeking support on topics such as child development, sleep, and other related issues.

Jess: We even have story time with Lorraine from the local library. When the library staff visits the supported playgroup, it serves as an excellent alternative for some families, as the library’s story time can be overwhelming.

Angie: Our dedicated story time with the local library is an excellent way to build a bridge for families to attend the library and access books and other resources.

Jane: Home-Start is an international program that has been running worldwide since 1973. The idea behind it is simple. If you have families in the community with children in the early years and they don’t have support or connections, their vulnerabilities can be much higher. If we can intervene early and provide support, then higher-risk interventions aren’t necessarily required. The idea is to provide them with a dedicated community volunteer who has been trained with us through our Prep Program.

The thinking behind the program was to connect communities and provide a village-like support around the child. The founder of Home-Start realised that, even in the 1970s, the village and community around families were dissipating.

The training is an opportunity for potential volunteers to learn about the program, what is required of them, what they will offer their families, the support they will receive, and the possible issues parents may face. Once the volunteers have completed the training, we check in with them to ensure they are ready, and then we look for a family to match them with in the program. Each family has its own volunteer, as well as its own volunteer coordinator. The coordinator supports the volunteer in helping the family, which can include referrals to other support services.

2. What does an average day look like for each of you?

Angie: The Parent-Child Mother Goose sessions we hold on Tuesday and Thursday. Then, the rest of the week, I’m working on Home-Start with Jane. This involves visiting families, making referrals for them, meeting with families to discuss their current situation, and occasionally driving as far as Kyneton to see a family, as well as supporting the volunteers. Wednesday is Supported Playgroup as well. It is entirely different every day and never boring.

Jess: I work three days: two days doing the Parent-Child Mother Goose Program and on Wednesday doing the Supported Playgroup. As Angie said, each day is different. What I love about it is building that reciprocal relationship with families and building trust, which is essential. I’m very passionate about music, and I love how music can connect people and foster development in parents and children through the Mother Goose Program. Of course, I get to sing and dance, which is excellent!

Jane: For me, leading both Angie and Jess is an important aspect of my role, including supervision. Also, being a community partner with other networking agencies and engaging in community participation work, to be honest, is valuable. We’ve established Home Start through Baptcare in the community, which means we are connected and can link with other organisations for assistance and support, as well as speakers for our Prep Training for volunteers and the Mother Goose and Supported Playgroup. They trust the program, they trust Baptcare, and it’s all about connecting the community. As an on-the-ground practitioner in the Home Start program, I do intake, review, matches, check-ins, referrals, organise training, and provide ongoing training.

3. How long have you each worked at Baptcare?

Jane: Some would say too long, I’m kidding! I’ve been here since 2008, so this is my 18^th  year at Baptcare.

Jess:  I have been with Baptcare for over two years, and I’m looking forward to continuing for many years to come, supporting families, colleagues and the broader community within the greater Bendigo and Macedon Ranges areas.

Angie: I started with Baptcare in July 2022. I started with the Parent-Child Mother Goose and Supported Playgroup facilitator role. Then, in November 2023, the Home-Start Coordinator role came up, and I applied for it after speaking to Jane, who advised me to go for it!

4. What do you like most about your role at Baptcare?

Jess: I really like the journey I take with each family in my role as a facilitator and practitioner. I also really love the personal journey I’m going on. I love how I can utilise my extensive knowledge in early childhood education and my new experience in community services to combine them through my work, supporting families in the community. I’m currently studying, which has also enhanced my work. My study and work complement each other. I’m completing a research component of my course, a Bachelor of Early Childhood. My research project focuses on the connection between music and the development of children’s emotional well-being. I have been able to use components that are aligned with the Parent-Child Mother Goose model for this research project. I have successfully passed my course and will be graduating in the coming Autumn.

Jane: I love Home-Start, the staff, and the Volunteers are amazing. I worked for Home-Start in the UK for 15 years. It was a no-brainer for me when this opportunity came up that I would apply for it in Bendigo. My passion for working in the early years and the outcomes we can achieve in this space remains undiminished. We aren’t a high-level needs program, but we work with families who have multiple vulnerabilities, and being part of their journey is special. When they leave our program, we know we’ve had an imprint on them, one that stays with them and with us. Knowing we’ve given such essential and valuable support is truly rewarding.

Angie: I get the opportunity to support families, which I really love and is one of my strengths. I discovered this through working as an educator in early childhood. I’ve supported some families through tough times. That was when I decided to study community services, which aligns with my experience working in early childhood. My experience in both areas helps me build positive, supportive relationships with families in the Home-Start, Mother Goose, and Supported Playgroup programs.

5. What do you like about working with each other in the Home Start team?

Jane: Well, what can I say? They are terrible! I’m kidding! This team is dedicated and committed; we all look after each other. We are also lucky to have the Sunshine team, based in Melbourne. We can tap into them and their resources and get that extra support. It is vital.

When things aren’t going quite according to plan, but you have a strong team behind you, you know that everything is going to be alright. They are going to pull together and find a way to make it work. Angie and Jess are as committed to the families they support as I am, and it makes the work easy and enjoyable.

Angie: The support is incredible. Having a Team Leader like Jane is amazing. She is approachable; you can talk to her about anything professional or personal. She is also very available to us and always there for us if we have any issues throughout the week. Knowing that the Sunshine team is also there for support is terrific. We are a village within the Family and Community Services (FACS) team and a part of the broader Baptcare community.

Jess: The support between us. We are the Three Amigos, the Three Stooges! I feel like we are a village in the FACS team and within Baptcare. We feel so supported in Bendigo, Sunshine, and Baptcare in general. It all stems from and refers to the mission, vision, and values for me; they really spoke to me and align with my values and how I live my life. They are a guide, really, and that is important.

6. Can you each tell us about a particularly special memory you have during your time at Baptcare?

Jane: Our Christmas events are amazing. There are incredible moments during these events, and the children have such a fantastic time. The people and families who attend make new friends and reconnect with old ones; it is lovely. The families can celebrate Christmas together, which they might not otherwise do, and it becomes a meaningful event for all involved.

Our volunteers are fantastic on the day and really step up. The library also comes in and offers a singing and story session, all about Christmas. It really is an event where the entire community comes together and helps make the day special for the children and their parents.

I also love meeting the volunteers and doing the training course with them for Home-Start. I love reaching the end of the course and seeing how far the volunteers have come, what they’ve learned, and how much they’ve enjoyed the course too. Then the most special part – seeing them walk alongside a family in community – is incredibly vital and important work.

Angie: The Christmas events are wonderful, of course. We are the Christmas elves. We visit the Sunshine Bendigo organisation, collect toys for the children, and deliver them to the families. We say these aren’t from us; they are from you. You can wrap them and put them under the Christmas tree. It takes a little bit of pressure off parents and carers around Christmas time.

Seeing the families’ journeys, from where they start when they come to one of our programs to where they end up, is fantastic. One family who had fled family violence and was couch surfing, the parent is now working, has their own place to live, and has their own car. Taking a strength-based approach with our families and reminding them that they have done the hard work, while we have supported and encouraged them along the way, is truly rewarding.

Jess: Pretty much what Angie just said, it is all about the journey we go on with the families in all the programs, and to see how much this helps families and how much they grow through the support of the programs. It is incredible to witness.

Also, connecting with like-minded organisations and committees that are aligned with our goals and have the same desired outcomes for the community and families everywhere is an absolute joy to be a part of. We can pool our knowledge, experience, and skills to serve those who need it most in our community. It’s really something to be proud of, knowing that we can make a difference for the family’s futures.

7. Can you each tell me two surprising things about yourselves?

Jane: Hmmmmm, I have no idea. I really like horror. I’ve always loved it from an early age. I find it hilarious. It gives me a thrill! Also, I’m a massive fan of the band Queen. I’m wearing my Freddie Mercury socks today!

Jess: I love K-dramas and K-pop! I love all the different K-pop groups! Also, I love my family loads. I was a young parent. I had my first child at 19 and my second at 21. I’ve been with my partner for 30 years and love my family and friends. I have an array of family photos on my desk, and I am super proud of how far I have evolved as I continue my own journey with life.

Angie: I have a tattoo covering my entire back. It is for my mum and my dad, who have both passed away. It is the story of my life and my lived experience; I’ve had a lot of lived experience, unfortunately. It is almost complete and holds a great deal of meaning for me; the experience has also been very therapeutic.

Another surprising thing about me is that I don’t cook at all. I don’t like it and find it stressful and uninteresting. My husband does all the cooking, and it’s amazing.

8. What did you want to be when you were younger?

Jane: I wanted to be a social worker or a midwife. They were my two choices growing up. I applied for and was offered both. I was already working when I received my offers and was embedded in the role I had started in, so I put everything on hold. My Dad, he’s pretty old school, used to say – you don’t take on something that you aren’t going to follow through on, my darling. So, I stuck with the role I was working in, which, believe it or not, was accountancy!

Angie: Lucky for us, you did!

Jess: I wanted to be a park ranger. I love nature and animals—like Ranger Stacy from the show Totally Wild! I used to rush home from school so I could watch her. I could see myself rocking the khaki look. It then evolved into aspirations of becoming a teacher or working with children and families (which is what I do now!) I have been in the early years field for quite a few years now.

Angie: It changed quite a few times, which is natural when you are younger. For a time, I wanted to be a nun; I think it was something to do with the habit. Then I wanted to be either a teacher or a vet. I realised I wanted to work with young children when I had my own child. I always wondered where my passion for early childhood came from. My Dad was adopted, and before he passed away, he connected me with some of his biological sisters. One of his sisters was a kinder teacher, I feel I have an affinity with her because we work in the same area, which is lovely.

9. Do each of you have a favourite quote or motto?

Jane: “Que Sera, Que Sera. Whatever will be, will be”. I’m a great fatalist; what is meant to happen will happen. You get chances in life to be where you need to be. If you are in a place you aren’t meant to be, know it will morph into something better further down the track.

Angie: One quote that always sticks out for me is “Don’t sweat the small stuff.” I spoke about that with my mother just before she passed away, and I think about this every day, and I’ve tried not to sweat the small stuff ever since.

Jess: I have two that I live by. I love Latin quotes and have the phrase “Carpe Diem” tattooed on my arm. When I wake up, and the sun is shining, and I see my tattoo, I think it will be a wonderful day!

Eventually, I’d like to get the phrase “Carpe Noctum” – seize the night with a moon—the best of both worlds. I should’ve been Batwoman. (lots of laughter)

The other quote I live by is ‘treat others how you would like to be treated,’ which my parents instilled in me from an early age.

10. Any final thoughts for our readers?

Jane: Early intervention and supporting parents during the challenging early years can alter the trajectory for those children, potentially eliminating the need for high-risk interventions. If parents feel safe and connected, the children will feel secure and connected.

Jess: When I first read the position description for my job, it ticked all the boxes for me. I love music and supporting children, which I get to do when I’m at work. The mission, vision, and values of the organisation align with my own values and guide me every day, especially in how I can contribute to the local community. I also followed my parents’ example, who always helped others.

Angie: I like Home-Start and how it can overlap with Mother Goose and the Supported Playgroup. We can receive a referral from someone for Home Start, do the intake, and invite them to the groups for further support. I also love watching when a family comes back with another child and receives support again after having a good first experience.

Community supporting community.

Our volunteers are archangels! It is incredible that they dedicate their time to the community. Jane is also a pillar of the community, and her good relationships and partnerships within the Bendigo community are why Baptcare and the programs we deliver are so trusted. Community connections are so meaningful, and one of the best ways we support those vulnerable members of our community.

 

To learn more about our Home Start Program, Parent-Child Mother Goose Program, or Support Playgroup, visit our website at www.baptcare.org.au or drop by our Bendigo office for a chat with Jane, Jess, or Angie – they would be delighted to speak with you.