Next year, Campbelltown City Council will launch a teaching and resource unit for its Pacific Islander families in a bid to encourage and promote early childhood literacy. The initiative follows a 2007 project of the New South Wales Council for Pacific Communities that Council supported to improve connections between Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Pacific communities.
Campbelltown has a high proportion of families of Pacific Islander backgrounds, but Council has found that they are not accessing any type of formalised child care.
The teaching and resource unit will encourage families to access a range of books to assist parents in developing their children’s literacy skills.
Mayor of Campbelltown, Councillor Aaron Rule, said this exciting new initiative will continue to foster Council’s strong link with its Pacific Islander community.
“Reading to young children is an important step in their development and helps children create an interest in reading, especially if they are introduced to books from an early age,” he said. “This initiative will provide a range of resources and support that will help boost literacy levels in Campbelltown.”
As part of the program, three free information and support sessions will be provided to families on a range of early literacy issues, such as speech pathology, the benefits of reading to children and an interactive parent and child storytelling session.
The teaching and resource unit will be launched in early 2009, with a free community workshop and a special guest speaker. All children that attend the launch will receive a free book and book bag.
The project will be funded by a $15,000 grant through the New South Wales Government’s South West Sydney Families First Early Literacy and Parenting Initiative, under the auspice of Housing NSW.
For more information contact Council’s Children’s Services Unit
on (02) 4645 4352 or visit www.campbelltown.nsw.gov.au
