Families have been and are an important part of Rainbow's philosophy right from the very start, and building relationships between families and the centre is a priority for us.

We provide a Family Support programme that enables us to encourage and guide parents in the challenging task of parenting, which in turn leads to better outcomes for their children.

At Rainbow we feel we have developed a place where parents can engage in their child's education, as well as receiving support and encouragement in the sometimes challenging task of parenting. We offer the following support - activities - classes:

SPACE (Supporting Parents Alongside Children's Education)

The SPACE Programme is for mainly first time parents with newborn babies. Sessions are held over 3-4 terms in a relaxed, baby-friendly atmosphere. Weekly sessions include:

• The opportunity to meet and get to know other new parents
• Discussions on relevant child development and parenting topics
• Play sessions with appropriate equipment that supports infants' learning and development
• And introduction to rhymes, music and books for infants.

The main aim of these groups is to encourage parents to become involved in their children's play and understand their childs development.

Coffee Groups

Our fortnightly coffee group enables parents to form social support networks. The teachers co-ordinating the group stimulate discussions around positive parenting, encourage parents to share ideas with others and organise guest speakers. The coffee group enables parents to support each other with various parenting issues.

Social Events

We plan at least one Centre social event each term. These also give families the opportunity to get to know each other and form support networks.

Parents Education

To-date we have offered four Parents Inc Toolbox parenting courses, a self defence course, a musical movement course and several te reo maori sessions, all of which have been facilited by our teachers.

SKIP (Strategies for Kids, Information for Parents)

Rainbow Preschool, in partnership with Barnardos is pleased to offer SKIP. SKIP is working to change the way children are raised in New Zealand. It does this by supporting communities to inspire Mums and Dads to have a positive relationship with their children. Resources available at Rainbow.

Collaborative Relationships with Support Agencies

We are involved with Dunedin's Well-Child network, which is a collaborative network that includes health, social service and education professionals who work together to improve outcomes for children and their families. This helps us to keep in touch with current issues. Our Well-Child contacts are:

• Plunket
• Dental Therapist & Immunisation co-ordinatior
• Child and Family Services (mental health)
• Sport Otago
• Catholic Social Services
• Barnardos