Discovering the Productive Benefits of Playgroups- Social Capital

1. Discovering the Productive Benefits of Playgroups- Social Capital Or as Humpty says: "The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many different things." "The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master - - that's all."

2. The structure of playgroups in Victoria • What is Social Capital? • What evidence do we have that playgroups contribute to Social Capital? • Utilising the benefits of playgroups in the early childhood setting The Presentation Today

3. Continuum of Playgroups Increasing level of family and service support Community Playgroups (parent-led) • Intensive • (agency-led) At the interface between supported and intensive there may be planned transitions Facilitated (agency-led) Families move between formats according to need At the interface between community and supported there may be occasional support

4. Working for the day when all families with children under school age: • have opportunities for social play and learning in their communities; [ CHILD] • have positive social networks that support their parenting; and [ PARENT ] • have opportunities for meaningful participation in community life. [ COMMUNITY ] Outcomes Nurturing children, supporting families, building communities CCCH Paper: Playgroups in Australia 2012

6. The commonalities of most definitions of social capital are that they focus on social relations that have productive benefits. Social capital is about the value of social networks, bonding similar people and bridging between diverse people, with norms of reciprocity. The Social Capital Research site {http://www.socialcapitalresearch.com/definition.html} Social Capital

7. Intuitively, then, the basic idea of “social capital” is that one’s family, friends, and associates constitute an important asset, one that can be called upon in a crisis, enjoyed for its own sake, and/or leveraged for material gain. What is true for individuals, moreover, also holds for groups. Those communities endowed with a diverse stock of social networks and civic associations will be in a stronger position to confront poverty and vulnerability (Moser 1996; Narayan 1996), resolve disputes (Schafft 1998; Varshney 1999), and/or take advantage of new opportunities (Isham 1999). Conversely, the absence of social ties can have an equally important impact. Woolcock and Narayan Social Capital: Implications for Development Theory, Research, and Policy Final version submitted to the World Bank Research Observer To be published in Vol. 15(2), 2000

8. Social Capital Narayan and Cassidy 2001

9. Continuum of Playgroups Less social capital as vulnerability increases Absence of benefits of social capital Increasing level of family and service support Community Playgroups (parent-led) • Intensive • (agency-led) At the interface between supported and intensive there may be planned transitions Facilitated (agency-led) Families move between formats according to need At the interface between community and supported there may be occasional support

10. Social Capital: Community Playgroups

11. 37% of parents learnt about good businesses in their community through playgroup • 49% learnt about toy libraries through playgroup • 25% learnt about health services • 92% rate their playgroup friendly • 96% of parents agreed that attending playgroup has provided them with a sense of friendship, community and/or connectedness • 95% said their child’s social skills benefit through interaction with other children • 67% said it gives their children opportunity for physical activity • 58% said children benefit through learning to take turns and share What parents say about playgroups

12. Do vulnerable families who do not attend community playgroups get productive benefits which build social capital? • How do we conceptualise the differences in outcomes for families attending community and supported playgroups? Are the benefits of playgroups shared evenly?

13. INTENSITY Strengths Pressures Model of Community Development Individualised FACI LITATION Community Wide INDICATED UNIVERSAL SELECTIVE STRENGTHS PRESSURES

14. Strengths Pressures Model High Pressure Low Strength High Strength High Pressure Low pressure Low Strength High Strength Low pressure

15. THE INTERPLAY OF COMMUNITIES: The Differing Strategies For Empowerment Low Strength Low Pressure Low Pressure High Strength High pressure High Strength Low Strength High Pressure

16. UK Children in Need • Owen & Gill., The Missing Side of the Triangle

17. The Missing Side of the Triangle: see handout

18. INTENSITY Strengths Pressures Model of Community Development Individualised FACI LITATION Community Wide INDICATED UNIVERSAL SELECTIVE STRENGTHS PRESSURES

19. Scope of Playgroups in a Universal Community Transitional Model Transitional Model

20. Scope of Playgroups in Indicated Communities Transitional Model Limited Transitional Model

21. Scope of Playgroups in Selective Communities Transitional Model

22. Recent research conducted by the Telethon Institute in Western Australia demonstrated that for disadvantaged families prolonged playgroup attendance is associated with: • Better learning outcomes- particularly for boys • Better social-emotional outcomes particularly for girls • Mothers have greater and more consistent social support • More books in the home • Less TV • More participation in other activities and that Prolonged attendance improves outcomes. Are playgroups useful for vulnerable children? Telethon research

23. Children from disadvantaged families are less likely to access playgroup services but participation is higher than expected. • The evidence suggests that these are the children who have the most to gain from attending with social and learning outcomes significantly improving. Telethon Research:- The study also found that:

24. Parents benefit too with the study finding mothers from disadvantaged families who went to playgroup were: • more likely to have consistently good support from friends over time • more likely to see improvements in the level of support they received from friends over time • less likely to see declines in the level of support they received from friends over time • The study found that children from disadvantaged families attending playgroup also: • Have more books in the home • Watch less TV • Attend more activities outside the home (e.g. swimming pools, museums, movies, cultural events) Telethon Research:- The study also found that:

25. Social Capital Narayan and Cassidy 2001

26. Continuum of Playgroups Less social capital as vulnerability increases Absence of benefits of social capital Increasing level of family and service support Community Playgroups (parent-led) • Intensive • (agency-led) At the interface between supported and intensive there may be planned transitions Facilitated (agency-led) Families move between formats according to need At the interface between community and supported there may be occasional support

29. Focusing solely on the most disadvantaged will not reduce health inequalities sufficiently. • To reduce the steepness of the social gradient in health, actions must be universal, but with a scale and intensity that is proportionate to the level of disadvantage. Proportionate Universalism: Michael Marmot

30. INTENSITY Strengths Pressures Model of Community Development Individualised FACI LITATION Community Wide INDICATED UNIVERSAL SELECTIVE High Social Capital already exists Social Capital needs to be built

31. INTENSITY Vast proportion of families can participate in community playgroups and organise these Smaller proportion of families under significant pressure find it difficult to engage with community based playgroups and require higher levels of facilitation via intensive/ supported playgroups. These groups should be transitioned as their strengths are built UNIVERSAL How are you working with your supported playgroups to transition these families? These families participate well in kindergarten, child care and school

32. INTENSITY of FACILITATION Smaller proportion of families under significant pressure find it difficult to engage with community based playgroups and require higher levels of facilitation via intensive/ supported playgroups. These groups should be transitioned as their strengths are built Lowest 2-3% Targeted efforts reach the middle 30% Vast proportion of families can participate in community playgroups and organise these UNIVERSAL

33. Concentration of Disadvantage: Indicated Communities The majority of families in this community have higher pressures than strengths. These families find it difficult to engage with community playgroups and require more facilitated and intensive engagement strategies to harness & maintain their participation in playgroups. These playgroups are supported or therapeutic in nature. There are a smaller number of families in this community who can sustain participation in a community playgroup and these should be encouraged. Likely to get these families participating first in any initiative How are you working with your supported & intensive playgroups to transition these families?

34. 35% of parents attending playgroup also had their children in childcare • 46% of parents learnt about kindergarten , preschool and school through playgroup • 27% of parents learnt about child care through their playgroup • 97% of parents agreed that attending playgroup assisted their child’s development How are playgroups useful in the institutional/ formal early childhood setting

35. Children learn and grow in relationship with their parents: Companionable Learning- Dr Roberts • Parents are children’s first and most enduring educators- Parents are engaged from the start in playgroups and vulnerable parents learn to engage. • Parents have training in committees and decision making prior to getting to child care, Kindergarten and school. They participate. • Children are prepared and comfortable in groups of their peers & the routine of learning environments. Why playgroups are useful to child outcomes in early childhood.

36. Playgroups can make up the disparity of disadvantage with prolonged attendance. • Parents can increase their trust in services such as children's services and increase their participation. • The groundwork with literacy , learning and routine is established in playgroup. • Good transition planning and relationships with supported playgroups can maximise a vulnerable families participation in children's services. For vulnerable children and families

37. Co-Location • Transition Program- active regional planning • Regional versus metropolitan- the benefits of a regional community • Active Engagement with the broader service sector- primary health, housing, child and family services. Models?

38. Thankyou