Partnerships in Early Childhood (PIEC) recognises that childcare centres are ideal environments to engage families and often a place they turn to when needing assistance. PIEC creatively uses childcare centres as a bridge to other community services.
PIEC promotes strong and healthy partnerships between families, communities and childcare centre staff. We place a Child and Family Worker within a childcare centre to work together with the children, families and staff to identify how the childcare setting can best support families and act as a community centre. PIEC provides a direct pathway to accessing the information, resources and opportunities that enable families to acquire additional parenting support and address their needs as they arise.
PIEC offers a range of activities that are tailored to meet the particular needs of the local community and the children, families and staff in each childcare centre. Activities include:
- Providing hands-on training and supporting staff at the centres to increase their understanding of children's behaviours and relationship needs
- Focusing on the important transition moments for children, parents and staff (such as children's arrival and departure from the centre)
- Providing individual support and counselling for parents
- Running parenting sessions that focus on the needs and strengths of parents
- Providing referrals and links to local service providers, connecting families to services and other community supports
- Running supported playgroups and Parents Connect groups in the local community.
Where is PIEC run?
The Benevolent Society has established partnerships with several childcare providers to deliver Partnerships in Early Childhood within Sydney’s Inner, South West and South East suburbs and the local government areas of Gosford and Wyong on the NSW Central Coast.
Read about our research project Attachment Matters and how it supports our PIEC programs.
See the presentation on PIEC given at the 10th Annual New Zealand Early Childhood Research Conference in December 2006.
For more information:
PIEC South West Sydney
288 Queen Street
(PO Box 981)
Campbelltown NSW 2560
T: 02 4633 3777
F: 02 4627 4954
PIEC Eastern Sydney
Level 1 / 188 Oxford Street
Paddington, NSW 2021
T: 02 9339 8000
F: 02 9360 2319
PIEC Central Coast
PO Box 111
Wyong NSW 2250
T: 02 4353 4688
F: 02 4353 4788