Families

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement Team can provide advice, support and help with any concerns including:

• key ages and stages
• early parenting
• enrolment in Early Start Kinder
• referrals to local support and health agencies
• Boorais Playgroup
• Aboriginal Parent as Teacher Program funded by Communities for Children (Uniting Lentara)

Email MCH@hume.vic.gov.au or call 9205 2844.

Babies in Hume is a free, fun, interactive support and education program for all Hume residents.

Our first time parents program for babies four months and under includes:

• communication with your baby
• sleep needs of your baby
• early nutritional needs of your baby
• lifestyle changes and self-care
• importance of play in the developing infant
• baby massage
• keeping your baby safe
• infant CPR
• introduction to solids
• sleep and the older baby

We also host information sessions covering:

• food and sleep information session for babies aged six to twelve months
• toddlers information session for toddlers aged 18 months to three years

Ask your Maternal and Child Health nurse for more information about the Babies in Hume Program.

For more information and to book a place please email babiesinhume@hume.vic.gov.au or call 9205 2643.

Maternal & Child Health Nurses, Lactation Consultants and Parent Support Workers will support parents breastfeeding journey by providing information on all aspects of infant nutrition and parenting. Breastfeeding support services are offered at various locations and times across Hume.

Email mchbookings@hume.vic.gov.au or call 9205 2844.

The Enhanced Home Visiting Team can provide advice, support and help with any concerns including:

• early parenting
• child development
• mental health
• family violence
• referrals to local support and health agencies
• feeding
• sleep settling
• behavioural concerns

Email MCH@hume.vic.gov.au or call 9205 2844.

See information about three and four year old kindergarten, long day care, immunisation, early years policies and kindergarten enrolment applications.

Early Years Hubs are based in primary schools and are planned around local needs. The Hubs support families’ in their children’s learning and development and provide knowledge and training opportunities for parents. Hubs act as a gateway to services, information and learning and increases connection with their community.

Each Hub has a Hub Coordinator who offers a warm, supportive environment and helps parents and community members to create vocational pathways and move through volunteering, training, education and employment. The Hubs are open to families in the local community as well as school families.

Programs provided:

• Playgroups
• English classes
• Community kitchens and gardens
• Parenting and family support programs
• Breakfast clubs
• Linking to specialist services e.g. GPs, Maternal and Child Health
• Special interest activities e.g. sewing
• Social connection opportunities, e.g. coffee and chat
• Certificate courses

For more information about Hubs, contact silviaa@hume.vic.gov.au or call 9205 2530.

Council’s library service comprises of five branches, a mobile library and a home library service. Membership is free and open to anyone. The collection includes books for all ages, DVDs, videos, magazines, newspapers, online databases and much more.

The libraries also provide a range of programs and services for parents, young people and children such as:

• Preschool story time for children from 3 to 5 years
• Baby times for babies of 0 to 2 years
• Bi-lingual story times
• School holiday activities
• STEM activities
• Free access to computers and the internet
• Books and magazines in multiple languages

For information please visit the Hume Libraries website or your local library on 9205 2200.

Council is committed to ensuring that all young people in Hume are healthy, safe, connected and have opportunities to thrive.  Youth Engagement & Pathways (YEP) provides a range of responsive and integrated programs, initiatives and events that support young people aged 6 to 24 years to connect & thrive.

We work in partnership with schools, service providers, and community agencies to deliver supports that enhance social connection, and mental health & wellbeing. We provide opportunities for young people to learn new skills such as advocacy, leadership and life-readiness, and supports that enable successful pathways to learning, training and employment.

Go to Youth - Hume City Council for information on our school holiday and term programs.

Contact Youth Engagement and Pathways on 9205 2556 or email youth@hume.vic.gov.au.

Council’s Active Kids program is designed for children aged 6 months to 15 years. The program encourages children to enjoy the benefits of physical activity and build healthy habits into the future.

Contact Leisure Services on 9205 2513 or LeanneC@hume.vic.gov.au.

Council provides a range of free children’s services to the Hume community. Services focus on the early development of children to ensure the best start in life. Council’s dedicated team of Maternal and Child Health nurses, midwives and parent and child educators are specialists in child health and development.

A Maternal and Child Health team member will call you directly once you are discharged from hospital to arrange a visit to your home.

At the home visit, we will schedule times with you to visit one of our Maternal and Child Health Centres at the following stages in your baby’s development:

• Two weeks
• Four weeks
• Eight weeks 
• Four months
• Eight months 
• Twelve months
• Eighteen months
• Two years
• Three and a half years

Appointments outside these assessment ages are not generally necessary, unless there is a particular need or developmental concern.

Booking or changing an appointment

You can also make an appointment, or change an existing one, by phone or email:

Phone: 9205 2844 between 8.30am and 4.30pm, Monday to Friday

Email: mchbookings@hume.vic.gov.au 

If anyone in your family is unwell please reschedule your appointment and contact your local doctor, or for emergencies call 000.

Parenting resources such as Council’s 'Child Safety Made Easy' video and 'Guide to Baby Safety' video/DVD are available free to borrow from Hume Libraries.

The Outreach Team can provide Maternal and Child Health key age and stages, support and advice in the following settings:

• three and four year old kindergarten
• childcare centres
• playgroups

Email mchbookings@hume.vic.gov.au or call 9205 2844.

Playgroups are for babies, toddlers and preschool children and their parents or carers.  Fathers, mothers, grandparents, carers, families with additional needs and families from other cultures are all welcome at playgroups.

Supported playgroups are facilitated by a qualified early years educator. The facilitator will support the group and may offer the parent tips and ideas about things that they can be doing at home to extend their children’s learning and development. The playgroup facilitator can also provide information about other support services and work alongside parents in accessing these services.

You can contact playgroups@hume.vic.gov.au or phone 9205 2200.

The Alannah and Madeline Foundation cares for children who have experienced or witnessed serious violence and advocates for children's safety, wellbeing and their right to be free from violence and bullying.

Services include:

• Buddy Bags program helps children forced to flee their homes due to family violence by providing them with a backpack full of basic essential items.
• Children Ahead program provides intensive, therapeutic support to children and young people aged 0-18 years to assist their recovery from significant trauma or violence.
• Buddy, cyber safety and anti-bullying workshops are delivered in schools.
• The Cubby House provides a supportive and safe haven for children and young people dealing with traumatic family situations in the Broadmeadows Children’s Court.
• Early Years Trauma Consultancy Service (TraCS) helps early years staff work with children aged 3-5 years affected by trauma – enabling staff to understand challenging behaviours and how best to respond to them.

Parent workshops:

• Parenting in the Digital World (60 minutes online workshop)

The Association for Children with a Disability is a not-for-profit organisation led by, and for, families of children with disability.

For families and professionals, the association offers free:

• Workshops and peer support
• Support line
• Information and resources

Information and resources

Rock Solid is a resource for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families with school-aged or younger children with special needs in Victoria:

For more information email comms@acd.org.au or call 9880 7000 or 1800 654 013 (regional). You can also visit their Facebook page.

Asthma Australia website has lots of Asthma related information and resources.

Kids health online information session – what to do when a child is sick.

Many parents have found themselves in stressful situations where they aren’t sure how to respond or where to seek care for their sick child. Asthma Australia provides a free online information session on how to care for a sick child, covering common childhood illnesses and local after hours care options including:

• Fever
• Rash
• Virus
• Ear infection
• Croup
• Bronchiolitis
• Asthma
• Gastro
• Allergy
• Choking
• Covid-19

This session will help you to recognise and understand some common symptoms in children and help you decide where to get the best care for kids when they need it. Sessions are also available in Arabic, Vietnamese and Punjabi.

For more information email Vaishali on vmali@asthma.org.au or Theresa on tweir@asthma.org.au. You can also call 9086 7856.

Berry Street has been supporting Victorian children and families for over 140 years. That includes giving children who cannot live with their own families the opportunity to live within a safe and nurturing home environment.

Services include:

• family violence support services
• education services
• trauma services
• out-of-home care
• parenting and family services
• foster care
• youth services

As a foster care agency Berry Street:

• recruit, train, assess and register people as suitable foster carers
• place children with Berry Street foster carers
• value and support our foster carers so they are equipped to care for children in their home
• manage contact between child and biological parents

For more information call 9429 9266 or send an enquiry. 

The Butterfly Foundation website provides tips for parents/care-givers supporting mental health, wellbeing and a healthy body image in children and young people.

Parent seminars are delivered in a relaxed yet informative way and aim to help answer the following questions:

• Why is developing a healthy body image important?
• What influences my child’s body-esteem?
• How should I respond if my child talks negatively about themselves or others?
• What should I do if my child is showing signs of unhealthy eating and exercise behaviour?
• How can I be a good role model?
• Where can I access further information and support?

Body Confident Children and Teens for parents and carers of primary and secondary age children and community members. The session explores why positive body esteem, non-dieting approaches and healthy behaviours in relation to food and exercise are strong protective factors in the development of eating disorders.

Back to School: A Body Image and Mental Health Guide for Parents and Children - This resource provides tips and advice on promoting positive body image amongst children and foster good mental health.

For more information call 1800 334 673 or email support@thebutterflyfoundation.org.au.

The Australian Government provides a number of subsidies and programs to help you with the cost of your child care. Check websites for more information about local child care and preschools. Most of the services will have a quality rating next to their details. The ratings are one way of helping families choose the best service for their child.

Visit the Starting Blocks childcare finder website.

DPV Health is a not-for-profit organisation that offers health care services to people of all ages. DPV Health deliver a wide variety of clinical, support and community services that focus on integrated health promotion, treatment and prevention of illness and injury. These include medical, children and adult NDIS and disability, elder and senior, and dental services.

DPV Health also deliver a wide range of health and wellbeing services for parents, carers, children and young people including:

• child and youth psychology
• men’s behaviour change
• newborn services
• speech pathology
• occupational therapy
• physiotherapy
• developmental psychology
• dietetics
• allied health assistance
• audiology

MyTime groups are for all parents and family carers of children aged under 18 years who need a higher level of care than other children do. This may be because of disability, developmental delay or a chronic medical condition.

My Time connects parents of children with a disability or developmental delay to a parent support network. My Time will provide social support, increased knowledge of services and supports in the area and a place to talk to other parents about their challenges and triumphs. The group is run by a facilitator who will plan sessions to include topics of interest, self- care ideas and activities as well as occasional visits from health professionals to answer questions and discuss topics of group interest.

Local My Time groups operate in Roxburgh Park and Thomastown weekly during school terms.

Healthy Mother, Healthy Babies

The service offers pregnant women:

• Social and emotional support
• Education (birth and breast feeding)
• Community connections
• Advice for referrals
• Links to helpful community groups and services
• Connection to Maternal and Child Health Nurses
• Advocacy advice and support
• Home visits
• Personalised one-on-one service
• A nurturing approach to caring and support pregnant women

Program social workers can help to create a holistic, individual goal-setting plan that assists and supports pregnancy needs including:

• Family violence
• Drug or alcohol issues
• Isolation and lack of support
• Pre/postnatal depression or anxiety
• Mental health issues
• Young mums (under 21 years) with pregnancy concerns
• Women living with a disability with pregnancy concerns
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders with pregnancy concerns
• Women who do not have access to antenatal care

 Parent programs and workshops include:

• Communication development for children 0-3 years of age
• Communication development for children 4-6 years of age
• Raising adventurous and colourful eaters
• Tuning into Kids is for parents/carers of preschool and primary school age children. Parents learn different ways to talk with their child, prevent behaviour problems, help their young person manage emotions and deal with conflict.
• Tuning into Teens is for parents/carers of adolescents aged 12-18. The program focuses on an emotion coaching parenting style and shows parents how to help their child learn about emotions, develop emotional intelligence and prevent behaviour problems.
• Little Big Talk allows parents to discuss their pre-school aged child’s speech, language and general development concerns with a speech pathologist.
• The School Readiness Funding Program provides speech pathologists, child psychologists and occupational therapists within priority kindergartens across Hume.
• The HeadtoHelp service is open to anyone who may be experiencing distress or mental ill health.

Offices located in Broadmeadows and Meadow Heights.

For more information email info@dpvhealth.org.au or 1300 234 263. 

Serving Victorian families and individuals since 1887, Drummond Street services supports families and individuals, promotes connected and inclusive communities and drives innovation and research into family support interventions. Drummond Street offer a range of free (or low cost) services to promote the health and wellbeing within families – with a particular focus on the needs of children and teenagers.

Parenting support programs are aimed at harnessing parent’s capacity to teach the family resilience and strategies for coping with life’s normal ups and downs. These sessions are delivered as groups or one-on-one sessions and cover topics such as:

• Supporting your LGBTIQ and non-binary young person
• Parenting toddlers
• Tuning into Kids (6 week program)
• Tuning into Teens (6 week program)

Counselling and support services:

• Community Support Programs – Delivered at Drummond street offices, in Early Childhood Centre’s, Maternal & Child Health Centres, schools and other community locations.
• Family Intake, Information Referral and Brief Support Service – A phone and face-to-face service is available for those concerned about their own, or a family member’s (including a child or teenager) emotional and mental wellbeing. After assessment, education, information and brief parenting and family support, families may be supported into other community or treatment services.
• Intensive Family Support and Counselling Services – Available for the whole family, intensive services may include case management, child/adolescent counselling, family based counselling/therapy and/or couples if required.

Check Drummond Street website for parent support services and courses.

For more information email enquiries@ds.org.au or call 9663 6733.

The eSafety Commissioner’s Office delivers live webinars for parents and carers to learn about how children can be safer online.

The website offers a range of resources for parents, early years educators, youth and community workers including:

• eSafety Book in multiple languages
• Interactive quizzes
• A gift giving guide to help with choosing tech gifts for children and young people.
• Talking with your child about tricky personal subjects and issues such as peer pressure, online gaming, screen time and using social media safely
• How to deal with unwanted contact, grooming, cyberbullying and inappropriate sexual content
• Stories and videos about e-safety for children under 5 years
• Online safety during COVID-19

Early parenting centres deliver flexible, targeted services that aim to enhance parent-child relationships and support parents with strategies for achieving their parenting goals.

These goals are often in areas such as sleep and settling, child behaviour, child learning and development, and parent and child health and wellbeing.

Early parenting centres are part of a broader service system supporting families which includes the maternal and child health line, universal and enhanced maternal and child health programs, supported playgroups and community-based parenting programs.

Services provided focus on:

• Building parenting capacity and skills
• Enhancing the parent-child relationship
• Strengthening a family's link with their community
• Assessing infant mental health
• Providing secondary consultations to health and human services professionals.

Early parenting centres are funded to provide:

• Day stay services - an intensive day program providing early parenting support
• Residential services - a centre-based intensive parenting program in which parents stay at the centre for a five-day period
• Group services - group-based programs attended by parents and their children, which are designed to improve parent-child relationships and interaction.

Early parenting centres also offer a range of other education, programs and parenting advice.

headspace Craigieburn offers free support for young people aged 12 to 25, their families and friends.  headspace welcomes all people irrespective of ethnicity, lifestyle choice, faith, sexual orientation and gender identity.

headspace can assist young people who are:

• feeling down, stressed or can't stop worrying
• wanting to talk about sexuality, gender identity or relationships
• finding it hard to deal with school, university, TAFE or work
• wanting to cut down drinking or other drug use

Parenting Programs:

• Tuning in to Teens (6 week program)

  For parents or carers to learn some practical skills on how to better communicate and connect with teens

• Tuning Relationships with Music (TRM) (8 sessions)

  For parents and teens (10-18 years) who would like help to improve how they communicate and deal with conflict. 

Parent and carer webinars on topics to support young people including:

• Mental health
• Work
• Sexuality
• Life issues
• Health & wellbeing
• Body image
• Parental separation
• Understanding adolescence
• School issues and stress

Offices located in Craigieburn and Glenroy. For more information call 8338 0919 or email info-headspacecraigieburn@orygen.org.au.

Kidsafe provides information and resources about parents and children safety including:

• safety around water
• pedestrian and road safety
• farm safety
• safety around the home including batteries and mask wearing
• safe sport and play
• what to do after an injury or emergency
• child care restraint checking and fitting program 

For more information call 9036 2306.

Life Without Barriers provides people with the services and assistance they need so they can achieve their goals and maximise their opportunities to participate as fully in society as they wish, including foster and kinship care, disability services, residential and after care.

Parenting programs:

• Circle of Security Parenting (8 week program)

For more information email info@lwb.org.au or call 9430 2500.       

Family Foundations is a free 10 week parenting relationship program for expectant parents or parents with a baby under 12 months that helps to give families the best possible start to parenthood.

• Focus on co-parenting
• Team based activities to strengthen communication and problem solving skills which are fun and easy to do
• Home based and after hours sessions are available
• Delivered by 2 Parent Coaches, a female and male
• The whole family benefits from the program content – parents feel more competent and capable and babies feel more secure and are better able to reach their milestones

Registrations and enquiries: Family.Foundations@merrihealth.org.au or call 03 9355 9901.

Merri Carer Services offers support to people (including parents) who have extra care responsibilities of a child, other family member or friend due to disability, chronic illness, mental illness, addiction or injury for 6 months or more.

• counselling and coaching
• respite
• peer support group
• financial assistance

Young Carers can also participate in free fun holiday events, camps and fortnightly youth groups.

Contact the Carer Gateway on 1800 422 737 or email young.carers@merrihealth.org.au.

For more information call 9355 9906 or email family.foundations@merrihealth.org.au. You can also visit the Merri Health website.

The Orange Door is a free service for adults, children and young people who are experiencing or have experienced family violence and families who need extra support with the care of children.

The Orange Door can work with you on your own, or together with your family members depending on your situation. Tell a worker if you use communication aids or require an interpreter, including Auslan. The Orange Door welcomes everyone, regardless of migration status. You can seek help or support if you are a migrant or a refugee or do not have permanent residency.

ParentZone offer all carers and parents a chance to develop and strengthen their parenting skills and create positive change in their family. They provide free parenting groups, workshops, resources, and training for parents and the professionals who work with them.

ParentZone programs cater to all ages and stages, from newborns to teenagers. Programs address the stages and challenges faced by parents including family violence and mental health.

Parenting groups run within school terms and are offered face-to-face in Melbourne’s North and online via Zoom. Programs can be tailored to suit needs, including delivered in multiple languages.

All parenting programs are free.

Parenting Programs and workshops:

• Tuning into Kids (6 week program)
• Tuning into Teens (6 week program)
• Circle of Security Parenting (8 week program)
• Parent’s Building Solutions/Dad’s Building Solutions/Rainbow Parents Building Solutions
• Wishing Away Worries (supporting anxious children)
• Strategies for Autism/Living with Autism
• Dealing with preschool behaviours
• Bringing Up Great Kids
• Breaking the Cycle (For parents and carers whose adolescent is abusive or violent at home)
• Dealing with BIG feelings (strategies for children’s temper tantrums)
• Talking Teens: A Parents Building Solution group

For more information email parentzone.northern@anglicarevic.org.au or call 8641 8900.

Relationships Australia Victoria (RAV) is a valued provider of specialist family and relationship services. RAV believe that people, in all their diversity, have the right to live their lives safely and with dignity, with their families and within their communities, and to enjoy positive, respectful, safe and fulfilling relationships.

Services include:

• Relationship counselling
• Disability support
• Family mediation
• Family violence support
• Adoption support and counselling
• Post separation parenting support and counselling
• Parenting tip sheets, videos, books and resources

Parent workshops:

• Tuning into Kids/Tuning into Kids for Dads
• Tuning into Teens
• Circle of Security
• My Parents ‘n’ Me
• Respectful Relationships and Resilient Children in Multicultural Australia

Check the RAV website for workshop dates.

For more information call the Sunshine office on 8311 9222 or email sunshine@rav.org.au.

Spectrum enables people with migrant and refugee backgrounds to feel at home in Australia.

Services include:

• settlement services
• community development programs
• youth services
• parenting and family relationship programs
• aged care
• disability services
• advocacy

Parenting in New Culture (PINC) program provides free courses - PINC for women and couples and PINC for Fathers.

• Engage with participants digitally or face to face recognising the pandemic stress, financial pressure and family violence.
• Course content around parenting, managing stress, dealing with teenagers, family violence child protection and discipline in the home.
• Parents must be Hume residents

PINC objectives:

• Strengthened skills, knowledge and confidence for newly arrived parents from CALD backgrounds to address parenting challenges and respond to their children’s needs.
• Improved family functioning, relationships and child wellbeing in newly arrived CALD communities.
• Provide relevant information, referrals and support for newly arrived CALD parents in their parenting role adding to the specific consideration to the current pandemic situation.

Contact:

Sunbury Cobaw Community Health provides a range of health services to the community of Sunbury and surrounds.

Family Services provides confidential case work and in-home support service for families with children, from birth to 17 years of age. The program supports families by providing parenting information, education and connection to local services, fostering a positive and safe family environment, encouraging the wellbeing and development of happy, healthy and active children.

Services include:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and Aboriginal Engagement Officer
• Child & Youth Health
• Child & Youth Occupational Therapy
• Child & Youth Physiotherapy
• Family counselling and support
• Enrich Youth Program assists young people and their families to navigate the mental health system. It includes appointments at home to help with early assessment, especially for young people who find it difficult to connect with therapy or support at clinics.
• Family violence support
• Counselling for issues such as gambling, post-natal depression, financial stress, drugs and alcohol
• Mental health
• Diabetes education
• LGBTIQA
• NDIS and disability
• Paediatrics
• Speech therapy

Parent programs:

• Parent-Child Mother Goose is a fun program that strengthens the bond between parents/carers and pre-school aged children by introducing them to the joy of sharing songs, rhymes and stories.  Parents/carers gain the confidence to interact with their children in a positive way and children benefit from being exposed to various forms of communication and a variety of language. The program is free and is suitable for babies and children up to the age of 6 years.
• Online 15-minute Mother Goose story and activity sessions.

For more information call 9744 4455 or complete the online contact form.

SunRanges Twins Plus Inc. a volunteer run, non for profit club that helps support families of twins and multiple birth children.

Activities include:

• Expectant Parents Sessions
• Playgroups
• Parent's Nights Out
• Meal Program

For more information email sunranges@amba.org.au or call 9513 0035.

Toy Libraries have lots of toys for families with children aged from birth to 8 years of age. To find out more about the libraries and the cost to join, please telephone the relevant Toy Library.

‘Triple P’ stands for ‘Positive Parenting Program’. Triple P is free to Victorian parents and available anywhere, anytime—24/7 with the online programs. Triple P Online is for parents of toddlers to tweens (under 12 years) and Teen Triple P Online is for parents of pre-teens and teenagers (10-16 years).

Triple P helps:

• Raise happy, confident kids
• Manage misbehaviour so everyone in the family enjoys life more
• Set rules and routines that everyone respects and follows
• Encourage positive behaviour
• Take care of yourself as a parent
• Feel confident as a parent

For more information email nerissa.linklater@triplep.net or call 0430 514 462

Uniting Vic Tas is the Communities for Children (CfC) Program Facilitating Partner in the City of Hume with funding from the Federal Government, Department of Social Services.

CfC Hume uses a localised approach that uses strength based practices to promote the health and wellbeing of families with children 0-12 years old. It also fosters a strong, child-friendly community.  CfC Hume realises these by partnering with other community service organisations and enhancing capabilities with local service systems.

For more information about CfC, contact Cirila (Lilac) P. Limpangog on 9351 3677 or email Lilac.limpangog@vt.uniting.org

The following are CfC partners and funded activities:

Anglicare Victoria – Growing Connections, Art & Soul sessions

Growing Connections is a free 8-week group sessions in the Broadmeadows area of art, movement and play-based activities designed to nurture and heal the relationship between mothers and their primary school aged child. Contact Zenaida Melo on 9301 5200 or zenaida.melo@anglicarevic.org.au

Berry Street - Hume Early Years Family Violence (HEYFV) Project

The HEYFV Project provides free secondary consultation and training on family violence, child development, and parent-child relationships. The HEYFV Project team are co-located at services across Hume including Centrelink and Maternal Child Health Centres. Contact Suzanne Meharry on 9450 4700 or smeharry@berrystreet.org.au.

Community Hubs Australia - Hume Playgroup Access and Quality Project 

This supported playgroup project is delivered by Hume City Council in partnership with Community Hubs Australia. It facilitates the delivery of high-quality playgroups by upskilling community hub leaders, playgroup facilitators and volunteers across the 15 Hume community hubs.  Contact Silvia Amici on 0417 115 697 or silviaA@hume.vic.gov.au.

Hume City Council – Aboriginal Parent as Teacher (APaT)

This program focuses on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families with children under three years old to promote their safety, health, well-being, and readiness to learn.  The activities include one-on-one personal visits, group participation in a playgroup setting, and health and developmental screenings. It engages participants to connect with their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. Contact the Aboriginal Team on 9205 2643 or AboriginalEngagementTeam@hume.vic.gov.au.

Hume Whittlesea Local Learning Employment Network (HWLLEN) – DRUMBEAT (Discovering Relationships Using Music, Beliefs, Emotions, Attitudes, and Thoughts)

DRUMBEAT helps students aged 8 to 12 to develop social and emotional skills for healthy relationships and positive behavioural wellbeing.  Sessions focus on different relationship themes such as identity, social responsibility, values, dealing with emotions, peer pressure, harmony, communication, teamwork and/or cultural safety. Contact Fiona.O@hwllen.com.au.

Northern Community Legal Centre (NCLC) - Towards Equality 2020 & Beyond

NCLC delivers the project in partnership with organisations from the Indian, Nepalese, Iraqi and Syrian communities. The project promotes gender equity by increasing awareness to prevent violence against women and children. Practical education and skill-building activities are facilitated, along with cultural expression relevant to their community such as poetry, music, theatre, art, photography and dance. Contact Tania McKenna at tmckenna@northernclc.org.au.

Spectrum - Parenting in a New Culture (PINC) and PINC Focus on Fathers

Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre runs the free Parenting in a New Culture (PINC) Program. It is an evidence-based, culturally-responsive parenting education and support program for parents from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds with children aged 0-12. The program explores the challenges and opportunities of navigating parenting and family life in a new cultural context. Contact Brent Serry on 9977 9009 or BrentS@spectrumvic.org.au

The Salvation Army - Young Parents Connected (YPC)

The Salvation Army’s YPC is a free outreach strength-based program for young parents aged up to 23 years of age, their partners and children. The program includes case management and support, community engagement, group support and linkages to other services. Contact Chichi Kafula on 0419 543 336 or chichi.kafula@salvationarmy.org.au

VICSEG New Futures – Peer Led Parenting and Community Strengthening Project

VICSEG offers the ‘Being a Parent” (BAP) course for culturally diverse communities across Hume. Bicultural Family Mentors provide individual support and group education for parents and carers, with a focus on vulnerable, socially isolated families.  Contact Sayanti Bhatta on 0452 258 173 or sbhatta@vicsegnewfutures.org.au

ParentZone, Anglicare will be delivering a free and interactive workshop to provide information to parents and carers to support their children with this pivotal chapter.

Some topics that will be explored include the following:

• Understanding transitions and it’s impacts on children
• Practical strategies to support your child during this change
• Sharing ideas of how to create positive experiences

Program details

• Audience: Recommended for parents and/or carers of children transitioning to Primary School
• Cost: Free
• Day: Monday 20 January 2025
• Time: 6pm - 7.30pm
• Location: Online

Register here

This session helps families plan and prepare for their young person to transition to secondary school. This session will explore the role of parents/carers in promoting their young person's social and emotional well-being and building their resilience to support and navigate this significant change.

Program details

• Audience: Recommended for parents and/or carers of children transitioning to Secondary School in 2025
• Cost: Free
• Day: Thursday 16 January 2025
• Time: 5.30pm - 7pm
• Location: Online
• Facilitator: Drummond Street Services

Register here

Help your child manage anxiety and become more emotionally resilient. Help children develop their own coping skills to overcome anxiety. Improve your relationship with your children.

Program details

• Audience: For parents or carers of children with anxiety
• Cost: Free
• Day: 24/7
• Time: At your place and at your own pace
• Location: Online

Start the Course

Stay calm under pressure. Strengthen your relationship, fix issues before they become real problems, and positively influence your child’s skills and development. This full toolkit of tips and ideas really works!

Program details

• Audience: For parents and carers of young children under 12
• Cost: Free
• Day: 24/7 online
• Time: At your place and at your own pace
• Location: Online

Start the course

Positively influence your teenager’s development and life skills – a full toolkit of proven tips and ideas!

Program details

• Audience: For parents and carers of pre–teens and teens 10–16 years
• Cost: Free
• Day: 24/7 
• Time: At your place and at your own pace
• Location: Online

Start the course

Universal Children Week is a national celebration of children’s rights, talents and achievements.  

Join us as we are hold this free event for children to have fun together, experience different arts and craft activity, Bilingual story time and much more.

Program Details

• Audience: 0-8 years
• Cost: Free
• Enquiries: contact our Playgroups Team for more information on 9205 2541 or email playgroups@hume.vic.gov.au

Teens and Beyond is a three-part workshop for families of teenagers with disability aged 13+.

Find out how to get the right NDIS support for your teen, what school and post-school options are available, and how to start planning for the future.

Providing information and building confidence to support your child aged 13 now and into the future.

• Future planning
• School and post-school options
• Getting the right NDIS support for your teen

Wellbeing – friendships, behaviour support, communication and mental health

Program details

• Audience: For families of teens with disability aged 13+
• Provider: Association for Children with a Disability
• For 2024 workshop dates email mail@acd.org.au call 03 9880 7000 or 1800 654 013 (regional callers)

Important information to help you guide your child through secondary school and to plan for their future.

• School supports, plans and processes
• Learning through lived experience
• Building confidence in your child to advocate
• Looking forward to your child’s career ahead

Program details

• Audience: For families of teens with disability aged 13-18
• For 2024 workshop dates email the Educate team educate@acd.or.au, call 9880 7000 or 1800 654 013 (regional callers)

Many social media sites, games and apps now come with parental controls. This webinar has advice on safety features that can be useful for parents and carers, including how to use the settings to protect personal information and report online abuse.

Program details

• Audience: For parents and carers of 4-13 year olds
• Cost: Free
• Location: Online

Find 2024 dates

Learn the best ways to help your child manage the benefits and risks of online gaming.

Program details

• Audience: Parents and carers of 13-18 year olds
• Cost: Free
• Location: Online

Find 2024 dates

Babies in Hume is a free, fun, interactive support and education program for all Hume residents assisting with communication with your baby, sleep, infant nutrition, lifestyle changes and self-care, creative play and keeping your baby safe.

Program details

• Audience: First time parents program for babies four months 
• Cost: Free
• Enquiries: babiesinhume@hume.vic.gov.au or call 9205 2200

10 week parenting relationship program that helps to give families the best possible start to parenthood.

• Focus on co-parenting
• Team based activities to strengthen communication and problem solving skills which are fun and easy to do
• Home based and after hours sessions are available
• Delivered by 2 Parent Coaches, a female and male

The whole family benefits from the program content – parents feel more competent and capable and babies feel more secure and are better able to reach their milestones

Program details

• Audience: Expectant parents or parents with a baby under 12 months
• Cost: Free
• Day: 24/7
• Time: At your place and at your own pace
• Location: Online

For 2023 registrations or enquiries email: Family.Foundations@merrihealth.org.au or call 9355 9901

Child Safe offers a range of training modules about child safety including

• Body Safety Education and Training
• Culture and Abuse
• National Principles for Child Safe Organisations
• Dealing with Critical Incidents
• Child Safety Audits
• Keeping Children and Vulnerable People Safe

For 2024 training dates visit the Child Safe website.

Child Wise offers a range of training modules about child safety including:

• Understanding the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations
• Understanding Grooming
• Leading and Governing a Child Safe Organisation
• Understanding and Managing Child Safety Risks
• Recognising and Responding to Child Abuse
• Meaningful Engagement with Children and Young People
• Child Safety in Emergencies

For 2024 training dates visit the Child Wise website.

Download or order our free fact sheets, booklets and educational resources to help people work out their legal problems including:

• Learning the law (for secondary specialist school teachers to teach students about fines and driving laws)
• Sex, young people and the law (age of consent, sexting, selfies, cyberbullying, fines and cyber crime)
• Australian law for new arrivals
• The serious consequences of being involved in criminal activity when not the main offender.
• Dealing with police officers and protective services officers

Community workers may also like to find out more about our community education projects.

Subscribe to Community Legal Education Update to find out about new resources.

Tuning into Kids Online via Zoom is a 3-half-day professional development workshop that gives trainees a grounding in the concepts of Emotional Intelligence and Emotion Coaching. The workshop blends lecture-style and experiential learning modules. This workshop is suitable for all experienced and qualified workers in the caring sector whose client base includes children (approximately 3-10 years) and their parents. Participants who complete the workshop receive a certificate that authorises them to deliver the Tuning into Kids 6-week parenting program to parents and carers.

Tuning into Teens Online via Zoom is a 3-half-day professional development workshop that gives trainees a grounding in the concepts of Emotional Intelligence and Emotion Coaching as well as adolescent brain development. The workshop blends lecture-style and experiential learning modules. This workshop is suitable for all experienced and qualified workers in the caring sector whose client base includes children (approximately 10-13 years) and their parents. Participants who complete the workshop receive a certificate that authorises them to deliver the Tuning into Teens 6 week parenting program to parents and carers.

For 2024 training dates visit the Tuning into Kids website.

Positive Early Childhood Education (PECE) is part of the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program. It’s also consistent with the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework. And now, the Victorian Government offers the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program under its SRF (School Readiness Funding) initiative for $199.

• Simple, quick, and convenient online course.
• 22 strategies to support children’s learning, and social and emotional development.
• Videos help you see strategies in action.
• Interactive exercises and activities.
• Customisable and printable personal workbook.
• Encourages personal goal setting and self-reflection

Find more information about the PECE Coaching Course on the Triple P website.

Contact Triple P School Readiness team on 1300 846 811 or vicsrf@triplep.net.