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Early Childhood Disability Services

Connect offers a suite of early childhood intervention programs to children with disabilities and their families. The suite includes:

Screening and Assessment

Connect offers developmental screening and assessment for children 0-6 years. Parents or Early Childhood teachers can request a developmental screener when they have concerns about a child’s development.

The screening process includes a parent interview to share concerns and other relevant information; play-based observations of the child to see how the child communicates, moves, socializes and learns; feedback and any necessary referrals to other community services. Children found to have a delay after assessment are eligible for our early intervention programs.

Home Visits

Home-visiting involves an Early Childhood Special Educator visiting families at home. It provides an opportunity for families to talk about goals for their children and to develop strategies to assist their children's development. These strategies include role modelling play, brainstorming ideas of how best to support their skills, observations and discussions.

The focus is usually on play, social skills, communication, sensory and motor skills. Therefore, visits are flexible and individualized. Each visit can last for up to an hour. The home visitor can also assist parents with accessing other community support services.

Early Learning Program

The Early Learning Program offers a specialised preschool class that prepares children for integration into other early childhood services or schools.

Activities and experiences are planned in response to the children’s needs and goals for their development. These goals are arrived at via a collaborative process focusing on family concerns and priorities and involving discussion between parents, staff and other involved services.

Emphasis is on building the skills necessary for a smooth transition to preschool or day-care. The focus is on communication skills, social and self-help skills and developing confidence and familiarity with regular preschool routines, using the supportive and often less threatening environment of a small group.

Itinerant Inclusion Support

Itinerant Inclusion Support offers professional advice and support to staff working with children with disabilities in early childhood services. Support can include:

Identifying the child’s needs, strengths and interests in the setting
Collaboration with other agencies and professionals in relation to the child
Individualized Education Programs with specific goals, objectives, teaching strategies and evaluation
Embedding a child’s therapy programs into the centre’s curriculum
Staff training and mentoring focusing on communication systems, fostering social skills and addressing sensory processing skills
Modelling positive behaviour management strategies
Securing additional funding to enhance the child to staff ratio of the centre
Access to professional development
Access to Resource library
Access to equipment through the Toy Library
Facilitating the transition to school process

Helping Children with Autism

The Australian Government’s ‘Helping Children with Autism’ Package addresses the need for support and services for children on the Autism Spectrum.

Families with a young child (0-7 years of age) with a diagnosed Autism Spectrum Disorder can receive up to $12,000 of therapy services.

Connect Child and Family Services Inc is the lead agency of a consortium of therapists approved to provide therapy under the ‘Helping Children with Autism’ funding.

Consortium members include:

Belinda Hill Speech Pathologists
Chatterbox Speech Pathology
Julie Basle Speech Pathologist
Kylie Witt Speech Pathologist
Nepean Speech and Language
Skills for Kids Speech and Occupational Therapy
Brighter Pathways Child and Family Psychology

For further details call Ruby Wright 4758 9966

Better Start

The Better Start for Children with Disability (Better Start) initiative provides eligible children access to early intervention funding of up to $12,000.

Eligible children must be registered before their 6th birthday and families will have until their child turns seven to use their early intervention funding.

Eligible children have been diagnosed with: Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Fragile X Syndrome, or a moderate or greater vision or hearing impairment, including deafblindness.

Up to 35% of a child’s early intervention funding can be used for the purchase of resources. This means that up to $4,200 in total out of the $12,000 can be used for resources.

Resources that are purchased with Better Start funds must:

be recommended by the child’s Better Start service provider, and
be directly linked with the early intervention services being delivered to the child, and/or
provide support for the delivery of interventions at home.

For further details call Ruby Wright 4758 9966

My Time

Support groups including grief support and the ‘My Time’ group for parents with children with a disability/chronic illness (in partnership with Playgroup NSW and the Parenting Research Centre Vic).

Kids on the Move (KOM)

‘Kids on the Move’ is a Nepean wide project that provides intensive transition to school assistance for high support needs children entering mainstream Kindergarten classes. It involves children visiting schools with staff members from their early childhood services, up to 11 times prior to and after school commencement.

The early childhood staff members work alongside children, their new teachers and support staff to pass on skills and knowledge. Children’s therapists also work with them in their early childhood settings in the year prior to and after school commencement. The early childhood staff members work alongside children, their new teachers and support staff to pass on skills and knowledge. Children’s therapists also work with them in their early childhood settings in the year prior to starting school as part of the transition program.

This project is a collaboration between Connect Child and Family Services, Department of Education, Catholic Education Office and members of the Early Childhood Intervention Coordination Project (ECICP).

Possum Preschool

Possum Preschool provides an inclusive and flexible educational program to children aged 3-6 years within a purpose built environment that supports, nurtures and facilitates learning.

Our highly qualified and experienced staff work in partnership with you and your child to tailor a program that meets you and your child’s needs. We are co-educators with families and children.

We aim to challenge your child’s mind, skills and interests through an exciting program of activities and projects - including both the inside and outside environment.

Our program reflects our commitment to current developments in early childhood education. In particular, we are guided by the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) which is the nationally recognised framework for early childhood settings.

We model respect, care and appreciation for the natural environment by embedding sustainability into our daily routines and practices. This includes children growing and harvesting vegetables, cooking and recycling.

The daily program is a balance of child led and teacher supported learning. We create learning environments that encourage children to explore, solve problems, create and construct.

Possum Preschool operates Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 4.30pm, in School Terms.
For further information or to arrange a visit, contact Nimmi Woods 4758 9966.

Hazelwood Childcare Centre

Under the leadership of a highly experienced early childhood director Hazelwood offers a unique and nurturing environment for your child. The daily program combines child led and teacher supported learning, with the highest quality care. We create learning environments that encourage children to explore, solve problems, create and construct. Respect, care, and appreciation for the natural environment are also an important part of our daily routines and practices.

Hazelwood’s early learning environment reflects its commitment to current developments in early childhood education and are guided by the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). This is the national framework developed to guide the education and care of young children in early childhood settings.

Hazelwood operates Monday to Friday, 7.00am to 6.00pm, 50 weeks per year.
For further information or to arrange a visit, phone 4758 7382.

Nepean Area Transition to School Project

The ‘Nepean Area Transition to School’ project facilitates a positive start to school for children living in the Blue Mountains, Penrith and Hawkesbury local government areas. The project assists children and their families to have a positive start to school by offering supported playgroups which are facilitated by an early childhood teacher and run in a primary school during terms 3 and 4.

Children and their families have the opportunity to experience the school environment gradually before starting Kindergarten. Children are able to explore the school buildings, meet the classroom teachers, listen to stories in the library, play in the school playground and purchase food from the canteen while attending the playgroup. Relationships between families, children, prior to school service staff and school staff are nurtured within the supportive environment of the playgroup.

Children starting school the following year attend the supported playgroup with a parent and younger siblings are also welcome, with quality early childhood experiences provided for children from birth to five years. Children not accessing other prior to school services have priority of attendance.

The NATTS Project Coordinator is also able to present workshops to prior to school services and parents covering transition to school and facilitating a positive adjustment to school.

Brighter Futures

Connect’s Role: Connect Child and Family Services is the lead agency in the Blue Mountains for the Brighter Futures Program. We work in collaboration with local government and non government agencies to ensure Blue Mountains families have access to the program. Connect employs an Intake Worker for all Community Referrals, the Early Childhood Advocate and Specialist Child Care Support Worker for the program are also based at Connect.

About Brighter Futures: The Brighter Futures program provides you with support and services that will help you give your children a good start in life. This can stop family problems from getting worse.

The Brighter Futures program is for families who have children aged eight years or younger, or who are expecting a baby. You may be able to join the program if you have little support from family and friends and find parenting tough. Families facing drug and alcohol problems, mental health issues, parents with significant learning difficulties, child behaviour management problems, domestic violence or need help with parenting skills may also be able to be in the program.

Click here to view the Brighter Futures brochure.

Further Information: If you need any further information about Brighter Futures or would like to make a referral, please contact Jennifer Stockley or Kathie O’Connor at Connect on 4758 9966

Playgroups

Connect runs playgroups facilitated by early childhood staff weekly in a number of locations across the mountains. These groups include 'Play and Chat', 'Craft in the Park' and Dad's playgroups. All playgroups are led by trained staff and provide high quality early childhood learning activities and parenting information and support.

Click here to view the Activities Schedule.

Community Hubs

Connect auspices Community Hubs based in local Public Schools. These hubs aim to improve children’s developmental outcomes by increasing community connectedness and strengthening the service system that supports the well being of families with young children. Hub development in the Blue Mountains is informed by the Stronger Families Planning Group’s 5 year strategic plan.

Katoomba Public School
North Katoomba Public School
Penrith Public School

Click here to view the Community Services News Article: North Katoomba Community Hub is a model for success

You Ask, We Nurture

You Ask, We Nurture (YAWN) is an in-home volunteer scheme that uses gentle techniques to support and nurture families with sleepless babies. Your experience as a parent (even if it was years ago) is valuable to parents who do not have a close network of friends and family nearby.

YAWN is looking for people with parenting experience and interest in attachment parenting and gentle alternatives to controlled crying who are willing to volunteer a few hours a week. If you are interested in volunteering with YAWN, please contact Jeanette on 4758 9966 or Christy on 4751 7605.