New Family Project Website To Support Parents And Children

Member for Kiama Gareth Ward MP has today announced that local families can now enjoy a new website – Family Project – that provides fun COVID safe ideas for families to connect during lockdown including rock art, backyard movies, building herb gardens, creating chalk art and meditation.

Mr Ward said that the safe online portal will provide a new project daily to help support the mental and physical well-being of families.

“Family Project will have daily activities for you and your family, everything from parents and kids meditation to creating a street library for the neighbourhood,” he said.

“This is a great way of finding things to do with the children over this challenging time – and getting them off their iPhones, iPads and TV screens a little bit more.

“This extended COVID-19 lockdown period has been an extremely challenging period for both parents and children who may be feeling overwhelmed by the demands of remote learning, working from home and the juggling of competing expectations.

“Families are under pressure in lockdown, 'Family Project' will be the place they can go to find simple COVID-safe ideas to do within their local area, practical tips to support emotional and physical well-being and advice on home schooling.

“This is all about giving local families right across our region something positive and hopeful to connect with, to enhance togetherness, when we are not together, and to foster resilience through adversity,” Mr Ward said. 

A NSW Government initiative, Family Project is a collaboration between Gidget Foundation Australia and parenting organisation Tresillian.

It will contain a range of content including such as well-being tips for the family, how to create your own worm farm, Brickman’s school holiday Lego challenge, parents and kids meditation and breath work or building a simple herb garden.

Gidget Foundation Australia CEO Arabella Gibson said when considering how a family connects, it’s important to remember that adult interpretations of COVID-19 are very different to that of young people.

“That’s why we’re launching Family Project – to support parents in being thoughtful and engaged role-models as we know that can be a lot harder in practice than it sounds. If as a community we can demonstrate how it’s possible to be part of the solution, everyone will benefit,” Ms Gibson said.

Family Project is free for all families, please register today at: www.familyproject.org.au.