The Whole Family
Supporting the Whole Family
EarlyEd is a family-centred early childhood intervention service. It recognises that the whole family is involved in raising a child with disability or delays in their development. Better outcomes will be achieved if the whole family is supported and involved in their child’s intervention.
Children learn the most from those who are closest to them. You and your family are your child’s best teacher.
In partnership with you, EarlyEd can provide services for your family and child that are best practice in early intervention. We acknowledge that having a child with a disability or developmental delay impacts on all the family and can be a challenging journey. Our services will reflect the concerns and priorities you have.
MyTime – Parent Support Groups
MyTime provides support for parents and carers of a child with a disability or chronic medical condition. It’s a place for parents to unwind and talk about their experiences. To learn more visit the MyTime page.
Who will support you and your family?
From your first contact with EarlyEd there will be a qualified team member who is ready to listen to the concerns and the priorities you have for your child and family. At EarlyEd there are people who can help you to understand your child’s needs and who can talk with you about how you are feeling. Sometimes talking about your thoughts, feelings and concerns can help you to feel better equipped to support your child and family.
Family Support Workers are part of the EarlyEd team. They provide additional emotional support, practical help and advice. EarlyEd’s Family Support Workers are highly qualified, experienced, compassionate and caring people who have backgrounds in psychology or social work. Together the Family Support Worker and the EarlyEd team can help you with any individual concerns and worries that you may have regarding your child and your whole family. As well as individual contact they also can offer workshops and specific training.
How will EarlyEd support you and your family?
At EarlyEd we help families:
- Encourage their child’s development
- Know their child’s individual needs
- Be included in community activities like childcare and sporting groups.
- With hurdles that can occur in day to day life
- Increase the connections between members of their family and extended family
- Access information on respite services; supporting carers and siblings.
- Prepare their child for the journey towards school
- Talk about their feelings of loss, grief, stress, depression and to discuss coping strategies
- Access community counselling services if needed
- Share concerns, achievements, priorities and ideas with other families
- To advocate for their child
- To look after their health and well being
What other services are available for the rest of the family at EarlyEd?
There are other ways to be involved as a family at EarlyEd, these can include:
Siblings
Brothers and sisters can be included in all sessions given by EarlyEd whether at home, in the community or at a centre visit. Siblings are encouraged and supported in their learning and development when they participate in the EarlyEd programs with their brother or sister.
Primary school aged siblings at EarlyEd have the opportunity for individual support or to join one of our siblings school holiday programs. EarlyEd has been offering sibling groups to our families since 2003.
Family Events
EarlyEd offers various family events and activities throughout the year that all your family can participate in. These specific activities and events can help to provide:
- Time to be together as a family
- Links and networks for your family to join in with the wider EarlyEd community
These events or activities can include:
- End of year celebrations
- Gatherings throughout the year such as Giveability Day or PAINT THE TOWN REaD
- Special days or morning teas
- Expos and family days
EarlyEd Can Help
EarlyEd understands that all families are unique. Families can include:
- parents
- carers
- grandparents
- brothers and sisters
- extended family and family friends.
EarlyEd supports all family members to participate and be included in EarlyEd services.
We respect every family’s individual culture and beliefs and this is considered when intervention is planned and delivered. EarlyEd can provide information in different languages to make sure families understand what is needed. We have staff who can speak a variety of different languages; interpreters can also be accessed.
Ways to Look after Yourself:
At EarlyEd we believe it is important that you look after yourself. As a parent/carer it can be hard to find time for yourself. Sometimes it can be extremely stressful and tiring looking after a child with a disabilityor a developmental delay.
Raising Children Network
“It’s easy to get caught up in looking after your child’s needs, but looking after yourselves is important too. Part of this is finding time to do things you’re interested in – as individuals and as a couple. It might be sport, music or social groups. A bit of time out helps you feel good – and when you feel good yourself, you’ve got more energy to put into your relationships.”
EarlyEd offers ways that you can have some time to have a little break to look after yourself. Speak to EarlyEd staff about what we have available for families.