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Cire’s Gumboots Playgroup now available in Healesville

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Thanks to a grant through FRRR’s (Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal) Grants for Resilience and Wellness Program (GR&W), families with pre-schoolers in the greater Healesville area are connecting with and supporting each other through the Badger Creek Playgroup.

The supported playgroup aims to engage and promote inclusiveness and connectedness among local families. The much-needed initiative, funded by FRRR over a two-year period, is part of Cire’s very successful Gumboots playgroup program across several sites in the Yarra Ranges.

Badger Creek facilitator Sarah Anastasio said that some participants, particularly those who live in more rural areas, have benefitted noticeably since the playgroup was launched at the Badger Creek Primary School earlier this year.

‘Some parents said previously their children did not socialise much due to where they lived.  At Badger Creek Playgroup, they have become more confident in their interactions with other children and adults,’ Sarah said.

Badger Creek is a great addition to Cire’s popular Gumboots Program and overall mission to meet the needs of children and their families within our reach.

Cire’s playgroups include:

  • Gumboots at the Upper Yarra Family Centre at Yarra Junction and at Little Apples Playgroup at Gladysdale Primary School, as well as Badger Creek
  • an unstructured playgroup at the Cire’s Yarra Junction Community Hub
  • a Parent-Child Mother Goose Program to commence in July. Funded by the Helen Macpherson-Smith Trust, the program will be delivered at Millwarra Primary School campuses at Millgrove and East Warburton and at the Yarra Junction Community Hub. Parent-Child Mother Goose is a particularly engaging program which strengthens attachment and interaction between parents, carers, and youngsters through the pleasure and power of thymes, songs and stories.

For further information about our playgroups, please contact Cire on 1300 835 235.

Having access to playgroup is vital to building and strengthening communities.

For children, it provides them with the opportunity to learn, experience a, investigate and interact with their environment. It offers them experiences to think, plan and create, do and find out. In a playgroup context, quality early relationships are fostered with trusted adults, providing the framework for early years’ development and learning.

Supported playgroups in particular offer parents and carers valuable support and resources and a source of information when facing parenting challenges and related issues and isolation.

Playgroup empowers and encourages parents to recognise the role they play in their child’s development. It allows them to take time out of a busy, to slow down and enjoy playing with their child, to watch and delight in the amazing steps their child takes while making sense of the world around them.

Cire Children’s Services is one of the core operations of Cire Services, one of the largest not-for-profit organisations serving the Yarra Ranges and beyond.

Cire Services core operations are:

  • Cire Children’s Services delivering long day care including integrated kindergarten programs; occasional care; outside school hours care as well as other services including playgroups.
  • Cire Community School, a positive alternative to mainstream education for secondary school students.
  • Cire Training, our Registered Training Organisation (RTO) offering accredited/pre accredited short courses.
  • Cire Community Hubs offer a diverse range of programs and services.

Help Little Feet Take Big Steps

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Cire Services is launching a new approach to help support our community programs. Our first initiative is Gumboots Supported Playgroup.

Launching Tuesday 25th October, Cire Services will conduct fundraising and donation activities to contribute to the longevity of our community programs. Our new Support Cire page enables people and organisations to make financial donations and receive an invoice for tax purposes. Our first campaign supports the Gumboots Supported Playgroup. Cire campaigns will be developed to further enhance our educational and support services.

Gumboots Supported Playgroup is run by Cire Services in Yarra Junction and is a free, relaxed, quality playgroup where children learn through play. The program supports children’s development and learning; is facilitated by a qualified early childhood educator and helps improve educational outcomes for all children. This is achieved through the provision of high quality playgroups in the Upper Yarra region; where children experience a range of educational activities and parents are assisted to support their child’s learning.

Gumboots Supported Playgroup is solely supported and funded through the Upper Yarra Community Enterprise. This financial assistance is greatly appreciated and we seek ongoing donations to ensure the program grows and benefit more families. Gumboots rely heavily on donations to support playgroup programs for families with young children.

Your donation will help us maintain our services in the Upper Yarra region – our kids can’t thank you directly, but know you’ve made a big difference to little lives.