Home-Start

Home-Start is a voluntary home-visiting program that supports families (with at least one child under five years) in the Newcastle and east and north Lake Macquarie areas. Program Coordinators link trained volunteers to a family; the volunteers work on a one-to-one basis and provide practical support and friendship to the family through regular home visits.

The program began in Australia in May 1989 under the auspices of the Family Action Centre at The University of Newcastle. Since that time, Home-Start has trained over 450 volunteers, worked with 1700 families and 3400 children. (Click here to visit the Home-Start Australia or Home-Start International websites.)

Home-Start has 70 volunteer visitors working with us at the moment; their ages range from 26 to 75. They are selected for their parenting experience, caring attitudes and ability to relate to others. In 2006, 30 new volunteers undertook the training to join our highly regarded program.

Home-Start believes that parents play the key role in giving their children a good start in life, helping them achieve their full potential. Therefore, every parent should have the support they need for the best possible outcome for the whole family.

Home-Start's patron is teacher, counsellor and lecturer Dr John Irvine. As Dr John says in the dedication of his book A Handbook for Happy Families:

"This book is dedicated to Home-Start. I've agreed to be the national patron because I love its concept, its practice and the wonderful volunteers who make it work. Home-Start is now operating in many countries throughout the world – in Australia, Canada, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Kenya, The Netherlands, Norway, Russia, South Africa and the United Kingdom.

"Thank you, staff and workers. Your rewards may not be monetary but your help to families in raising good kids is invaluable, as children are the world's most important resource. May you never grow old in spirit while you are dealing with kids – they are the ageless edge of eternity."

To read two families' story of their experience of Home-Start, download the article SeaChange from the magazine Insight (file size 1.1MB) The McCaughan and Ongley families describe how they've benefited from Home-Start. As one mother says, "I think it's an amazing program, I would recommend it–it's a load off, to take the focus off me for a while".