Child Care Worker
St Anthony's Family Preservation Service has a long history of providing parent education to familities in the Western Region. The Vietnamese 'Parenting Together Group' was developed for parents of pre-school children with the emphasis on parent education, children's learning opportunities and interaction between parents and children through joint activities.
It has been impossible to secure government funding for this project even though there is general agreement that Vietnamese families experience high levels of stress and the women with young children are particularly isolated.
Under the energetic
leadership of Mai Dinh, the group has developed, now focussing also on
Vietnamese families with a child with a disability.
The group encourages pre-school aged children to socialise and participate in a variety of activities, including singing and storytelling in English and Vietnamese, and finger painting with shaving cream.
Parents are given opportunities to understand more about their child's development and behaviour, and discuss concerns and experiences. Mai Dinh also encourages the mothers to use services near their homes, and to ensure they are not isolated due to the demands of their young children. Mai is ably helped by Chi Nguyen (Child Care Worker) and Mai Vo (Volunteer).
The Zonta Club of Melbourne contributes to the employment of Chi Nguyen.