Family Centres
The Community Voices team are set to improve the welfare of new parents and their children in Townsville.
As part of their Families policy, Community Voices will establish a Family Centre, similar to existing community centres but with a strong focus on families of young children, and the volunteer organisations who support them.
Community Voices Families spokesperson, Gail Hamilton said that was a definite need in Townsville for a specific venue for families to go to find information on parenting as well as activities such as Australian Breastfeeding Association meetings, parenting workshops and play groups. "There are already many of these services available within Townsville City, but they are scattered. This reduces accessibility as well as increasing costs."
An ideal family centre would be staffed each day and include:
- Child health nurse
- Toy Library
- Children's and Parents book library
- Meeting and activity rooms
- Kitchen facilities
- Play equipment
- Outdoor playground
- Storage space for volunteer organisations
- Workshops for parents and children
Ms Hamilton anticipates that the Family Centres would be very multi-use and include social functions, workshops for parents and children such as reading to children classes, prenatal yoga or toddler art workshops, as well as a re-training centre for mothers beginning the transition back to the work force.
Funding for this project, would not just fall on ratepayers. "Many of these services are already funded by state and federal government, so I anticipate that Council could co-ordinate some of this spending to be more efficient and of greatest benefit to Townsville families".
Contact: Gail Hamilton 4774 2747 0407089981