THE POWER OF PLAY

At each venue, trained staff from the CDU Early Childhood Education Department, facilitated the children’s play with each other as well as with their parents and children from local communities.  Serco staff provided transport, meals and snacks as well as support to the CDU staff and translators, who were funded by the Department of Immigration.

The manager of NAPCAN NT, Lesley Taylor, described the outings as “life-changing” for the children and their families.

 “What is really gratifying for us is that the trips were so effective that they are now totally self-sustained by SERCO and CDU,” said Ms Taylor.  "It’s wonderful that such a small amount of money can have such far-reaching effects.”

 

The project’s manager, CDU Lecturer in Education, Saraswathi Griffiths–Chandran, was also positive about the ripple effect of the initial microgrant.

 

“There was a huge effort of collaboration and goodwill between CDU, Serco and Immigration,” she said. “This has meant that the impact of this project for clients has been far reaching and much more effective than money can buy.

“We have developed strong respectful and collaborative practices to enhance the lived experience of the family’s experience in detention and we have achieved this together.”

 

Ms Griffiths-Chandran said the feedback from clients had been extremely positive.

“Many families who recently moved out of detention and into the community said when they left that the excursions had kept them going, with something for their children to look forward to,” Ms Griffiths-Chandran said.

 

“The parents have also been appreciative that they had many good memories – both for themselves and their children – to take with them.  The level of engagement during the days has often resulted in hearty singing in Farsi on the bus trip home, with most children asleep in their parent’s arms by the end of the day.  Little children and families have a right to have wellbeing, play, learning and community engagement in their lives because if they don’t, their learning and development can be seriously damaged.  This project has provided outcomes that build children’s sense of wellbeing and enhances protective factors that develop resilience.  The children feel cared about, they feel loved, and they have fun and lots of laughing.”

The microgrant for this project was a NAPCAN MicroGrants programme, a whole of community approach to the prevention of child abuse and neglect.