Communities
for Children

Who are we?

Communities for Children facilitates a whole of community approach to provide early childhood development initiatives, supporting and enhancing development needs of children aged 0 to 12 years.

We use a place based approach and work with children, families and other organisations to shape program and service delivery.

As a CfC Facilitating Partner, we aim to provide support to the local community by partnering with community services to deliver programs and supports as well as capacity build through community participation and voice.

Research has found that money directed to programs through Communities for Children returns a community benefit three times the investment.

Read the Social Return on Investment study here.

What do we do?

We support the wellbeing of children and families by:

  • Working with parents and children to build child-friendly spaces within community
  • Funding other community organisations to deliver services including parenting support, home visits, community events and life skills courses
  • Building on local strengths to meet local community needs
  • Creating capability within local services systems
  • Using strong evidence of what works in the early years of life

As a Communities for Children Facilitating Partner, we take an early intervention approach that supports families to enhance the way they relate to each other, improve parenting skills, and ensure the health and wellbeing of children.

Capturing Children’s Voice

The Communities for Children team at UnitingSA and Alberton Primary School collaborated to bring children’s voices alive by creating posters displaying what’s important to them in their local community and how they think it might change over a 10 year period.

Learn more about the Port Adelaide Time Capsule project

UnitingSA and Alberton Primary School's Port Adelaide Time Capsule artwork

Important to Me

Through the annual ‘Important to Me’ Art Exhibition, UnitingSA’s Communities for Children program provides the opportunity for children to share what’s important to them using art.

View the 2023 online gallery

UnitingSA Communities for Children - Important to Me online artwork gallery

Our work in the community

View our community collaborations below.

Working with schools

We work with local primary schools to bring young people together to share ideas and to celebrate their community.

Recent projects include:

Children’s Parliament ‘Change Makers’
Students are encouraged to get involved to share their big ideas, discuss challenges facing their school or community and create real solutions. Students learn about the democratic process by identifying an issue and campaigning for change. The campaign is run by young people for young people. They also learn skills in team building, public speaking, and leadership in a fun and supported environment.

Time capsule
Students create a message for posterity for their future selves and others. Posters produced expressing what’s important to them and their local community. Pieces will be displayed in an exhibition before being locked away in a “time capsule” to be opened in the future. Students will learn more about their local community and enhance a sense of community identity and belonging.

Community Events

We are involved in a number of events to bring community together through the year, including:

  • National Families Week
  • Reconciliation In The West
  • Man With a Pram
  • Children’s Week

Find out more by calling us on (08) 8440 2299 or emailing our friendly team at cfc@unitingsa.com.au.

Community Partners

A key part of UnitingSA’s role as a Communities for Children (CfC) Facilitating Partner is to identify and fund CfC Community Partners, who can deliver programs to help address the needs of children and families in the region.

We are excited to announce our Communities for Children tender process for North West Adelaide is complete and we have selected our Community Partners for 2022-2024, who will deliver activities and programs to support children and their families, in alignment with the objectives of our Community Strategic Plan 2022-2026.

We received many high quality applications from organisations across the City of Port Adelaide Enfield and City of Charles Sturt, and are delighted to support the following Community Partners’ initiatives.

 

Community Partner Program Description Contact/Phone Number
Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN) Supporting parents with postnatal depression through a combination of one-to-one therapy, groups, home visits and supported playgroups. Janine
0416 095 200
St Patrick's School Supporting families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds by providing one-to-one support, playgroups and parenting skills development. Chau
(08) 8303 4500
Metropolitan Youth Health (MYH) Programs for young parents aged up to 25, and their children, including Aboriginal-specific parenting programs. Michel
(08) 8243 5637
UnitingCare Wesley Bowden (UCWB) A mix of programs supporting young parents and parents with infants in the first 1,000 days, along with families who are vulnerable and/or experiencing domestic violence. (08) 8245 7100
Multicultural Youth South Australia (MYSA) Supporting young refugee, migrant and Aboriginal parents, aged 15 to 35, by providing case management, parenting programs, playgroups, community forums and excursions. Susie
(08) 8212 0085
Playgroup SA Providing evidence-based playgroups to support parents to understand more about how children learn, and improve knowledge and skills relating to child development. (08) 8344 2722
1800 171 882
Kura Yerlo Inc Delivering the Deadly Moves program, providing cultural workshops to primary school children to support health, wellbeing and cultural connection. (08) 8241 0442
Kornar Winmil Yunti Aboriginal Corporation (KWY) Delivering a Circle of Security parenting program to help Aboriginal parents build stronger relationships with their children in a culturally safe way. (08) 8377 7822
54 Reasons - Save the Children Australia Delivering an evidence-based Play2Learn supported playgroup focused on parents experiencing perinatal depression. 1800 760 011

Parent Testimonials

“I am really happy and grateful to the homework club and to all the volunteers.”

Participant from The Smith Family

“I cannot speak highly enough of the very noticeable positive impact this program has had on our lives, since given the opportunity to join this program. I cannot emphasise enough how impressed I was with the valuable service that we were so fortunate to have access to. They have been able to introduce our family to support services, parenting tools and knowledge that have helped us adjust to our new lives as parents.”

Participant from Central Adelaide Local Health Network

The course has been very enlightening as my son is so young I am glad I have had this course. I can see it being incredibly useful as he grows up.”

Participant from UnitingCare Wesley Bowden

Nobody can do everything but everyone can do something.

UnitingSA relies on the generosity of donors to help deliver innovative programs and support for people in need across metropolitan and regional South Australia.

“What I like about working here is it’s like a family. The workers here love their job, and the reason they enjoy it is because they are accepted.”

Wayne Loughhead,
WSE Supported Employee

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