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Playgroup models
Playgroups come in many different models. Features of each model are described below.
Community playgroups
- Most common playgroup model
- Develop locally
- Usually in community buildings
Weekend playgroups
- Usually mornings
- Can suit working parents or parents with weekend access to their children
Father's playgroups
- Support for fathers who are their children's primary caregiver
- Fathers support each other in their parenting role
Church playgroups
- Could be in church buildings
- Could be part of a church program with access to volunteers or designated leaders
- Often well established
Grandparent playgroups
- Social contact with other grandparents caring for their grandchildren
- Time spent each week with grandchild
- Give child playgroup experience if their parents are working
Family Day Care playgroups
- Bring together care providers registered with a specific Family Day Care scheme
- Peer support for care providers
- Social interaction for children
- Not open to families from the community/caregivers who may have up to four children
Supported playgroups
- Facilitated by a paid worker or volunteer
- Target families with high needs
- Started by support organisations to assist families not attending a community playgroup
- Families given personalised supported by a trained facilitator and referred to other support services
- Often funded so low or no cost to families
- Facilitator
aims to withdraw support when families are ready to move on or the
supported playgroup is ready to become a community playgroup
Intensive support playgroups
- For families with complex high needs
- Staffed by a play leader, family support worker and a paid or voluntary assistant
- Families identified and referred by maternal and child health nurses, local government family services or other support agencies
Culturally specific playgroups
- Immerse children in a specific culture
- Peer support for families newly arrived in Australia
- Give parents opportunities to practise their culture's language
- Include traditional games, songs, stories and dances
- Celebrate culturally significant occasions
Multicultural playgroups
- Families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds share parenting experiences
- Children experience different cultures and languages
Indigenous playgroups
- Support Aboriginal families and communities to maintain their connection to culture
- Reinforce traditional values and ways
- Koorie families make culturally relevant connections in an informal setting
- Play reflects Koorie language, stories, games and traditional crafts
Special needs playgroups
- Usually run by health or early childhood professionals for children with disabilities or developmental delay
- Parents supported by peers
- Families are connected to support services and information
Teenage mother playgroups
- New friendships can be formed
- Reduce isolation
- Parents find out about services available in their community
School based playgroups
- Could be a community playgroup using school buildings
- Could be a playgroup run by a school
- Parents become familiar with the school environment, staff and routine
- Children can make a seamless transition into the school
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