Wuchopperen Health Service Limited (Wuchopperen) has been providing a variety of parenting programs to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families in the Cairns region to develop parenting skills and reduce the prevalence of mental health, emotional and behavioural problems in children.
In 2018, Wuchopperen saw 29 families graduate from our key parenting programs including Circle of Security, Parenting Under Pressure, and Triple P. Each program focuses on a different element of parenting and the many challenges of raising children at various ages.
Lorna Baker, Manager of Wuchopperen’s Children and Family Centre says the parenting programs not only develop the confidence of parents, but also of the children. “We see huge changes in the families who participate in our parenting programs. The children are a lot more confident, and a number of our parents ask our educators for additional activities to do with their children at home.
The programs are all about creating positive relationships between parents and children and giving parents the tools to do this. The programs also provide parents with a support group of other people who might be going through similar issues,” says Lorna. Following the huge success of the programs focused on families run by Wuchopperen in 2018, 2019 is set to be a great year for Wuchopperen and our clients.
“Throughout 2018 we had to establish an additional playgroup to accommodate the number of families coming through Wuchopperen. It is really great to see the progress of all the families and how our team is able to cater to the individual needs of everyone who walks through our doors,” says Lorna. The team at Wuchopperen’s Children and Family Centre consists of Early Childhood Educators, Family Support Workers and Child Health Workers who can provide a holistic service to all our families.
