Children – The heart of all we do
Ko nga tamariki te iho o a matau mahi katoa
The Engaging Priority Families programme is a free service which supports families/whanau with early learning. We work with 3 to 5 year old children/tamariki who are not participating in Early Childhood Educational (ECE) services and/or have poor attendance.
Our co-ordinators develop Early Learning Plans (ELP’s) with families to facilitate and monitor their child’s/tamariki’s participation in ECE services.
We help to establish foundations for their child/tamariki in preparation for their transition to school. This transition includes: primary school enrolments, pre-entry visits and monitoring of their attendance during the first 12 weeks of starting school. Engaging Priority Families coordinators continue to support children for the first 6 months after enrolling into primary school.
The programme – part of the Ministry of Education’s Engaging Priority Families/Whanau Initiative – targets Maori, Pasifika, low socio-economic families/whanau and migrant families to help them achieve strong, early learning foundations through sustained early childhood education.
Programme benefits for family/whanau?
- Receive options from ECE coordinators in order to make informed decisions about their child’s enrolment
- Receive support to help overcome barriers to their child/tamariki attending an ECE
- Receive support with the enrolment process into ECE
- Receiving support with the enrolment process into Primary school including a six month transition to school plan
- Understand the importance of attending ECE regularly
- Help their child build self confidence in social skills and self-esteem
- Regular goal-setting to help with their child’s early learning and development, including numeracy and literacy skills
- Ongoing support in maintaining relationships between families, ECE services and primary schools
To take part:
- Children must be between three to five years of age
- Children not participating in any ECE service
- Family/whanau must reside within the following areas; Mangere, Manukau, Otara, Otahuhu,
Papatoetoe, Puketapapa, Takanini or Papakura
For More Information
To learn more about the Engaging Priority Families programme please contact: The practice manager on 09 276 3729 or email epf@atwc.org.nz
