LATEST NEWS
Volunteers from the Home-Start and Uniting Church in Moss Vale at a celebratory luncheon. Home-Start in partnership with the Uniting Church facilitate a highly successful supported playgroup which is funded by Families New South Wales
Please join us to welcome the new coordinator for Wingecarribee - Tania Tuagalu
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Thank you to Moss Vale Services Club and Mittagong RSL for supporting our Wingecarribee programs.
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Thank you Yvonne for your years of service to Home-Start. Enjoy your retirement.. but you will be greatly missed.
What a great day for Wingecarribee families at the Christmas party in Mittagong. These photos say it all...
Home Start Wingecarribee has welcomed six new members into its ranks. The new volunteers graduated from a 10 week training course which prepared them for the program.
The training program focused on communication and listening skills and the role of volunteers as well as values and attitudes. Here are the girls photographed by Southern Highland Newspaper: Helen Connor, Kellie Brittle, Margaret Anne-Mann, Karen Revitt-Hannam, Janine Dillon and Tracey Shedlock.
Home-Start Wingecarribee
In Wingecarribee Home-Start offers a volunteer home visiting service to families with young children. Raising children is a rewarding experience but it can also be quite challenging; especially for parents with little or no support close by. Home-Start provides support for parents in raising their children during the early years. Experienced and trained volunteers offer support, friendship and practical help to parents with at least one child under eight years. Volunteers visit the family in their own home on a regular basis, helping parents to grow in confidence and strengthen their social relationships. Support from Home-Start can help prevent everyday family difficulties from becoming serious and long-term problems. A professional Home-Start co-ordinator links families with a trained volunteer. All Home-Start volunteers are supported and supervised by the Home-Start co-ordinator.
Flexibility, fun and an imaginative approach are keynotes of Home-Start visits that can focus on issues such as
ParentingLife Style Skills
Family Communication and Relationships
Child and Family Wellbeing
Early childhood development
Early literacy
Connecting with the community
Building Social Networks of Support
Who can receive support from Home-Start?
- be new to the area and lack support
- be learning how to cope with a new baby
- be isolated or feeling lonely
- be very young and inexperienced
- have a child with a disability
- have twins or triplets
- need assistance in accessing other community services
Home Start Wingecarribee works in partnership with the Mossvale Tafe's Early Childhood Department to provide a Supported Playgroup for children 5 years and under each Tuesday morning during school terms.
A HIGHLANDS community organisation celebrated a milestone birthday earlier this month. Home-Start Wingecarribee marked its 10th birthday with a lunch and award ceremony at Mittagong RSL Club on 1 December.
Home-Start is an initiative that provides practical support and companionship to families with at least one child younger than eight-years-old. The group welcomes new members keen to work with parents to help provide a safe and nurturing environment for children.
Financially supported by the NSW State Governments Families NSW Initiative, Home-Start Wingecarribee began operating in 2001. Wingecarribee coordinator Louise Pilon said she had been involved with the Highlands group as coordinator for three years. Ms Pilon said the group made a significant difference to families needing support. "The celebration is to honour the work and dedication of volunteers who give their time to support the families," she said. Goulburn MP and the Family and Community Services Minister Pru Goward presented awards recognising the service of Home-Start volunteers in the region.
