What is Care Pair?

Care Pair is part of Community Junctions Children Services  It operates as type of roving child care, supporting groups that run in the community each term with child care each term. Groups that are supported range from Disability, Welfare, Child Protection, Heath, Recreation, just to name a few. Some groups are held once while others are held over a term. Groups are run in various places in various locations. We take a trolley of resources with us to set up wherever we are. We meet a variety of children, families and workers. Here is a story from one Care Pair worker, Amanda and what she has been doing lately.

Working with children is such a rewarding experience.  While working with a new group at St Marys a new child join the group who doesn’t speak English. He screamed most of the first week then over the next few weeks he started to settle into the group nicely and now he can’t wait to go to “playgroup” every Monday to see us, we have become his new best friend and his mum has even commented on how his English has improved and he has become so much more confident at home. It’s great to get the chance to have such a positive impact in children’s lives, with Care Pair we take our toys with us to set up in a room and may only see some children for one group or a term so we only have a small chance to make a quick connection with the children and their families.

This year one of our workers was lucky enough to go to Mobile Meet, a conference for Mobile Childrens Services. The conference was held at Panthers, it gave mobile childcare workers an opportunity to get together. People travelled from all over NSW, Bourke, Brewarrina, Broken Hill  just to name a few. There was a Welcome Ceremony with a few key note speakers followed by different learning session’s which we would split into groups to attend. Our worker attended workshops on speech, unlocking your services story and an art and nature seminar, all of which were very informative. It was great opportunity to learn so many new things and speak to other mobile child minders and find out how they operate.

There was also a fancy dress Gala Dinner which celebrated the magic yellow bus and its 40 years of operation. Overall it was a fantastic learning experience.