Abstract

Nurturing the Spirit of Childhood - Inspir=Ed Making a Difference

Author(s)

Jane Hanckel -Spirit of Childhood Foundation

The Inspir=Ed program provides opportunities to work on parenting skills and mental health issues early on in life.  It helps parents to connect with their children between 0 and 5 by creating calm and nurturing environments, modeling sensitive adult-child relationships and fostering creative and imaginative play.

The Inspir=Ed program's focus is on social and emotional well-being, nurturing relationships, 'free' play and age appropriate developmental activities. The project uses research based approaches to nurture a love of learning and support children's emotional and cognitive capacities that support children's successful transition to school.

The program uses innovative storytelling, singing, circle, hand gesture and movement games and imaginative play to help create stronger parent-child bonds, increase parent-child skills and increase capacity for joy and happiness in parent-child.

Inspir=Ed's innovative approach to early parent-child parent education is helping to improve parent knowledge and create stronger family and community bonds across Australia.

Outcomes of the working the Inspir=Ed programs and training include

�  Children have a strong sense of identity and well being
  �  Children are confident and involved learners;  
  �  Children are effective communicators 
  �  Children participate in relationships and communities
 
"I would love to see the program available in all Aboriginal
Medical Services. There is such a need in our communities for parents to be supported in this lost art of parenting".

Pamela Simon, Indigenous Early Intervention Co-Ordinator, Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation, Airds, Campbelltown, Sydney