What are Playgroups?
Playgroups are informal gatherings for parents and caregivers with children under school age, and are an ideal place for children to learn and develop through play. Playgroups usually meet regularly (generally once a week for two hours during school terms). They can be held anywhere that is safe for children and where groups can meet. This could be community and neighborhood centres, health clinics, women’s centres, pre-schools and kindergartens.
Playgroups provide opportunities for children's social, emotional, physical and intellectual development while also providing opportunities for parents and caregivers to develop social and support networks. They offer a range of activities and opportunities that focus on interactive play. Individual playgroups can develop their own activities to suit the needs of their members including those people with babies.
The playgroup models reflect a continuum of support from facilitated Intensive Supported Playgroups to self-managed Community Playgroups.
There are four playgroup models under the Playgroup Program. From 2007-08, funding totaling around $12.9 million a year supports:
How does it work?
Parents and caregivers stay to interact with the other adults and play with the children. Children can choose from a range of activities set up to advance early learning and meeting their varying developmental needs. Activities are either free or low cost and may include music and singing, imaginative play outdoors and free play, art and craft activities, and outings. Parents and care givers can benefit from playgroups though social interaction, making friends, sharing experiences, learning new parenting skills and building networks with their wider community.
Why are we doing this?
The Government is committed to ensuring every child has the best possible start in life. Playgroups make a significant contribution to improving outcomes for children, parents and families across Australia.
Playgroups are a valuable part of the Government’s child-centred approach to family policy, and contribute to FaHCSIA’s objective to deliver family policy that best fosters the development, well-being and long term safety of children. The Australian Government is committed to playgroups as a way to bring parents and their children together in a supportive environment. They are a universal measure supporting the Government’s social inclusion agenda and provide support for children and their families to transition to a pre-school and school.
Playgroups have been operating in one form or another in Australia since the 1960s. Since 1975 the Australian Government has contributed ongoing funding to State and Territory Playgroup Associations to deliver what are now defined as self managed Community Playgroups .
State and Territory Playgroup Associations also identified that particular groups in the community often required additional help to access and/or establish a playgroup and, as a result, engaged a coordinator to run playgroups for these particular groups. The families and children who are assisted by Supported, Intensive Support and Locational Supported Playgroups can have multiple needs and face a range of social, economic and other challenges. They are often harder to reach and require support for a longer time. These playgroups provide a valuable early intervention opportunity with vulnerable children and families.
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Community Playgroups
Community Playgroups are initiated and self-managed by parents or caregivers. The Australian Government contributes ongoing funding of a total of $3.5 million per year to State and Territory Playgroup Associations to support Community Playgroups.
The Playgroup Associations provide advice and resources to self-managed Community Playgroups about developmentally appropriate learning activities. They also assist people to start their own playgroups or to find a playgroup that meets their needs.
To be considered as a Playgroup, there needs to be a minimum of three families or caregivers with children under school age who agree to meet on a regular basis. The size of the Playgroup can be determined by the size of the meeting place and the participants of the Playgroup.
Responsibility for the playgroup is shared, with each member of the playgroup making a contribution and having a say about how the group operates and what activities occur. However there are usually nominated volunteers who deal with referrals, pass along information and handle enquiries, and collect and manage fees.
Playgroups can meet at any time agreed by the members and that best suits their needs. Most playgroups meet for one to two hours either in the morning or afternoon.
Around 105,000 families access over 8,000 Community Playgroups across Australia.
Visit Playgroups Australia's website or call 1800 171 882 for more information.
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Supported Playgroups
The Australian Government funds Playgroup Australia to deliver 96 Supported Playgroups. Playgroup Australia receives funding of $1.309 million over two years (2009-10 and 2010-11).
Supported Playgroups are transitional playgroups initiated and facilitated by paid co-ordinators for up to 24 months. Supported Playgroups aim to engage families with children under school age who would not normally access a Community Playgroup and to assist these families to transition to a Community Playgroup or other form of community participation.
Supported Playgroups target all sectors of the community across all geographical areas in Australia, including one or more of the following groups: families from a culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) background, Indigenous families, grandparents and kinship carers, families with mental health and/or disability issues (either the parent or the child), teenage and young parent families, and families who are socially isolated and/or disadvantaged.
The Supported Playgroup Coordinator’s role is to empower the families to develop the capacity to manage their own playgroup or to access another Community Playgroup or other forms of community participation.
In addition to the usual benefits that parents, caregivers and children get from participating in playgroups, the Supported Playgroup model focuses on building social capital and the capacity of local communities to develop and sustain playgroups in response to local needs.
Further information about Supported Playgroups and current locations in your state and territory can be obtained from
Playgroups Australia's website or by calling 1800 171 882.
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Locational Supported Playgroups
Locational Supported Playgroups (LSPs) provide a safe and supportive environment for Indigenous families to gather in their communities. Children benefit from play-based early childhood development opportunities while their parents and caregivers have access to parenting support.
LSPs are initiated and facilitated by paid coordinators and early childhood workers and are located in places which encourage integration with other community services such as child care centres, pre-schools and community health centres. They recognise the need to provide Indigenous families, particularly those living in remote regional areas, with additional assistance and support from skilled early childcare workers. They recognise that significant time can be required to build capacity in Indigenous communities before families can move to a non‑facilitated playgroup environment so they can assist more vulnerable Indigenous families for a longer period than is available with Supported Playgroups.
Locational Supported Playgroups are managed at the local level by community organisations. The Playgroup Program currently funds 35 Locational Supported Playgroups across Australia at a total cost of more than $3.4 million each year.
Further information about Locational Supported Playgroups and current locations in your state and territory can be obtained by contacting FaHCSIA on 1300 653 227.
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Intensive Support Playgroups
Intensive Support Playgroups (ISPs) are initiated and facilitated by skilled family support and early childhood workers delivering mobile playgroup services across a number of sites. ISPs aim to promote positive early childhood development and contribute to increased child safety and wellbeing for particularly disadvantaged families and children who are experiencing insecure or inadequate housing. They are targeted at locations where the living arrangements of families (and often other circumstances) are impacting adversely on the capacity of caregivers to parent effectively.
ISPs provide extensive support to assist isolated and disadvantaged families to stabilise their circumstances by building linkages to a wide range of community services.
A family support worker provides referrals for parents and caregivers and, if required, supports them in their dealings with services such as Centrelink, Legal Aid and Housing and with issues such as family violence, health, finances and substance abuse.
The Playgroup Program currently funds 24 Intensive Support Playgroups across Australia at a total cost of more than $4.6 million each year.
Intensive Support Playgroups are managed at the local level by community organisations.
Further information about Intensive Support Playgroups and current locations in your state and territory can be obtained by contacting FaHCSIA on 1300 653 227.
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Expansion of Playgroups for Indigenous Families (EPIF)
The Expansion of Playgroups for Indigenous families (EPIF) measure was announced in the 2007-08 Budget, providing $13.8 million over 4 years to expand access to playgroups for Indigenous children, their parents and caregivers.
The aim of the EPIF initiative is to strengthen quality early childhood outcomes for Indigenous children, and provide improved local support for Indigenous families in raising their children.
The EPIF initiative consists of Locational Supported Playgroups (LSPs) and Intensive Support Playgroups (ISPs). These playgroups are specifically for vulnerable families with Indigenous children from birth to five years of age (for the EPIF measure vulnerable families have been identified as Indigenous families in regional Australia).
Closing the Gap in the Northern Territory (CGNT)
In the 2009-10 Budget, the Australian Government announced that they would spend $3.6 million over three years to extend funding for two existing Intensive Supported Playgroups (ISPs) and three Locational Supported Playgroups (LSPs) in the Northern Territory, and to continue the additional funding for four early childhood services. Funding for an additional ISP and two additional LSPs (making a total of eight playgroups in the NT) was also provided.
The measure is part of the Supporting Families component of Closing the Gap in the Northern Territory (CGNT) - previously Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER). It supports strategic priorities in closing the gap targets for Indigenous people. Playgroups providing opportunities for hard to reach children and their families are to be linked to health, education and family support services.
The measure builds on the existing ISPs and LSPs which have been effective in strengthening the parenting skills of very disadvantaged Indigenous families and providing young Indigenous children with access to age and culturally appropriate activities.
The existing playgroups are located in Katherine, Tennant Creek, Milingimbi, Numbulwar and Yuendumu. Katherine and Tennant Greek were established in 1997 while Milingimbi, Numbulwar and Yuendumu commenced in 2009.