Who are South Coast Child Wellbeing Network?
The South Coast Child Wellbeing Network is an interagency comprising of organisations from the Illawarra and Shoalhaven who collaborate to improve the lives of children and their families.
The goal of the Network is to increase awareness of issues relating to child wellbeing and child safety across the local service network and within the communities in which children and young people live.
The organisations involved with the SCCWN include;
NSW School-Link is a collaboration between NSW Health and NSW Department of Education (DoE) and aims to improve access to wellbeing support and specialist mental health services for children and young people and their families.
NSW School-Link facilitates collaboration between all education systems, health and other services to support children and young people to achieve optimal outcomes. This is achieved through
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Early identification of risks for children and young people and supported in accessing appropriate supports and services.
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Increased collaboration between professionals and education staff in responding to children and young people.
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Professionals are more confident and better able to deliver coordinated care to children and young people.
ECTARC - Early Childhood Educational Services and Training
ECTARC is the business name of Illawarra Area Child Care LTD, a not for profit company limited by guarantee. The company was established in May 1984 and incorporated in 1985. In 2020 the organisation was rebranded to bring the early childhood education and training services operations under one business name to be known as ECTARC.
ECTARC has successfully managed community-owned early childhood education and care services in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven for close to 40 years, which now includes 6 long daycare services, 2 occasional care services, and 2 multipurpose services.
In 1998, ECTARC established a Registered Training Organisation, specialising in the delivery of early childhood training and professional development for their employees and the early childhood sector. Their training services division is now an award-winning Registered Training Organisation that supports and trains students nationally in a range of qualifications and professional development.
Barnardos has provided services for vulnerable children, young people and their families in Australia since 1921. They work with highly vulnerable children and young people to provide a safe home and permanent relationships for all their childhood. They care for children exposed to physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, as well as neglect, exploitation, and homelessness.
Barnados South Coast has partnered with the Communities for Children program to deliver positive and sustainable outcomes for children and families in disadvantaged communities.
Anglicare Family Mental Health Support Program
Anglicare is committed to creating an environment where the safety, wellbeing, and participation of all children and young people is paramount. Consideration is especially given to vulnerable children; children with a disability; children from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds; and children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Anglicare has zero-tolerance for child abuse. They treat all allegations and safety concerns seriously. We have a moral and legal obligation to contact authorities when concerned about a child’s safety.
Wollongong City Council offers a range of services, spaces, events and programs to support children, young people and families in Wollongong. We have a strong commitment to Child Protection, and are focussed on improving the lives, opportunities and wellbeing of children and young people. We’re a source of information and support, and provide referrals to specialist services and opportunities. We facilitate the Wollongong Youth Network, are an active partner in the South Coast child wellbeing network, and are a committed advocate for children and young people to ensure their voices are heard, captured and included in decision making.
Council’s Children & Family Services and Youth Service programs provide a range of child-safe services, events and facilities, including the Paint the Gong REaD program, Wollongong Youth Centre, Lord Mayor School Starter Picnic, Neighbourhood Youth Work Projects, Child Protection and Youth week events.
South Coast Medical Services Aboriginal Corporation
South Coast Medical Services Aboriginal Corporation is a non-government organisation that provides health related services relevant to the wellbeing and to the benefit of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities within the Shoalhaven. They are committed to improving the equity of access to mainstream services for the Aboriginal communities.
South Coast Medical Services Aboriginal Corporation provide the Family Connect and Support (FCS) program within the Illawarra and Shoalhaven region which supports families to access services and programs within their local community. This is a free and voluntary program which is available to families from all cultural backgrounds.
WCF is committed to child safe practices and permanency outcomes for children and young people in care, to provide a positive, safe, and healing experience that addresses trauma, attachment, self-regulation, culture and community needs.
WCF believes that every child has a fundamental birthright to be wanted, loved, and nurtured and to be provided with a loving, stable family home environment. They provide services and programs including Permanency Support and Foster Care, Family Support Services, and Clinical Services to support children, young people, individuals, and families.
Family Services Australia support children, young people and their families by helping to keep them safe, well, strong and connected. They know that real change comes through relationships based on trust and respect and value their relationships with the community and other agencies.
CareSouth is a community-based organisation committed to creating a positive future for children, young people, individuals, families and communities. Programs include Brighter Futures, Champions, Permanency Support and Foster Care, Specialist Youth Support Services, Residential Care, NDIS Disability Services and Family Connections. CareSouth has offices across the Illawarra, South Coast, Southern Tablelands and Western NSW.
Kids' Uni
Kids' Uni is owned and operated by UOW Pulse, a not for profit organisation supporting student life across UOW. Kids' Uni has been established for nearly 50 years, and is a leading organisation for exceptional early childhood education and early intervention in the Illawarra.
Kids' Uni operates four long day care services, providing education and care to children from six weeks to six years of age. We also have an multi-disciplinary early intervention team, providing inclusion therapy and support to children and families.
We recognise how important every child’s first five years of development are. Being in a quality environment is critical during this time of rapid development. In response to this, we invest in quality measures to support our work with children. We are proud of our work, and our services are rated in the top 5% of NSW for quality practice.
We are strong advocates for children, and promote child safety and protection within our community. We create a reflective culture within our team, where we are continuously improving and we are brave in advocating for children and young people. We encourage staff, families, children and young people to speak up to make sure that our policies, practices, philosophy and decision making are always in the best interests of children.
Big Fat Smile
Big Fat Smile, a not-for-profit Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) organisation, has been a pillar of the community since our establishment in 1981. Our core vision is to enrich the lives and minds of children and families in the communities we serve. Our organisation stands on the values of safety, leadership, integrity, inclusion, child-centricity, and connection.
Big Fat Smile is a steadfast advocate for elevating the impact ECEC has on a child's development, learning experiences, and overall wellbeing. We lead with exemplary practice by providing holistic education integrated with inclusive practice, and a strong commitment to remove barriers for families to return to work by having access to quality and affordable services
The NSW Health Child Wellbeing Unit is a telephone support service staffed by child protection professionals proficient in the assessment and management of risk to children and young people.
The Department of Education is the largest provider of public education in Australia with responsibility for delivering high-quality public education to two-thirds of the NSW student population.
Milton Therapy and Learning Centre
Milton and Bay & Basin Therapy and Learning Centres are neurodiversity-affirming, family-centred, multi-disciplinary practices providing a range of allied health services to Milton, Ulladulla, Sanctuary Point and surrounding areas.
We are family-owned and operated offering Speech Pathology, Occupational Therapy, Music Therapy, Psychology, Specialist Education and Early Intervention Therapy programs supporting children, young people and heir families in our community. We incorporate our values of people, community, inclusion and care into all we do.
University of New England Social Work Program
Dr. Samantha Lukey is a senior lecturer in the social work program at the University of New England. Samantha’s role within the UNE social work program allows her to collaborate with like-minded professionals and students, innovating and inspiring in the realm of social work practice and research.
Samantha is involved in the South Coast Child Wellbeing Network (SCCWN) due to her dedication to enhancing child wellbeing and promoting best practices in the child and family field. Her expertise and commitment to both local, regional, and rural community initiatives align with the network’s goals of improving child wellbeing across the region. By participating in this network, Samantha contributes to collaborative efforts aimed at developing and implementing effective strategies to support children and families, ensuring that their needs are met with the highest standards of care and support. Her involvement also reflects her and the university's mission to lead by example in community engagement and development.
Our Partnership with Illawarra Child and Family Services Interagency
The South Coast Child Wellbeing Network (SCCWN) are excited to announce their partnership with the Illawarra Child and Family Services Interagency to develop: Mindful Bridges – I Know You, I See You.
The Mindful Bridges project is in response to Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) that identified emotional maturity and social competence as having a high level of vulnerability for children locally. This concern is further borne out by families and organisations. The project will be a series of short, interactive videos to facilitate support for young children from families, educators and professionals engaging with them.
The videos will cover a variety of topics including:
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developing self- regulation skills,
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brain development – what is happening in the brain?
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what is dysregulation?
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practical strategies for parents and carers, educators, and professional on how to best support and respond when big emotions happen.
The target audience will be disadvantaged communities and those experiencing complex vulnerabilities, but due to the brief message format, use of animation and video this will be relevant to support all children with the development of self-regulation and positive social and emotional skills. As well as providing easy to understand information to improve parent and carer’s understanding of the brain and what is happening for the child in that moment.
It is anticipated that this project will provide children with an increased ability to effectively transition to school and engage with learning, reduce the stress and distress within families, improve parent / child attachment and improve service engagement, providing lifelong positive outcomes for children and families.
This project is in the development phase, consultation has begun with a local film producer and child behaviour specialist who has experience with creating multimedia projects that highlight and embed community voices and real-life stories.
We are currently applying for grants and funding to make this project a reality. If you have the capacity to support this project, financially or in kind, or are interested in knowing more, please reach out through the Contact Us page on this website
For more information about the network or to discuss joining the network, please reach out through the Contact Us page
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