PRC gets funding boost from Paul Ramsay Foundation to explore smalltalk nationally

The Parenting Research Centre (PRC) has welcomed an injection of funding from philanthropic organisation the Paul Ramsay Foundation (PRF) to investigate the viability of rolling out the successful smalltalk program across Australia.

Smalltalk is a set of evidence-based parenting strategies that parents can use to enhance the home learning environment for their children from birth to school age. The strategies have been developed by the PRC, which is currently funded in Victoria by the Victorian Department of Families, Fairness and Housing.

The strategies are shared with parents by a trained facilitator during supported playgroup sessions, with some parents also eligible for in-home support to help them use the smalltalk strategies at home.

“We’ve previously worked with the Victorian Department of Families, Fairness and Housing to roll out and scale up smalltalk across Victoria, and we are grateful to the PRF to allow us to now investigate whether it would be feasible to make smalltalk available to other families around Australia who would also benefit,” said PRC CEO Warren Cann. 

PRC will use the $350,000 in funding to discover what it will take to support the roll-out of the program beyond Victoria.

“We know that supporting families in their parenting helps children thrive, and we are proud of our smalltalk program and the impact it has had in Victoria in improving learning outcomes for children before they start school,” Mr Cann added.

The project is expected to be complete by June 2023. PRC will engage partners with specialised skills to help deliver the project.

“We can clearly see the evidence base for smalltalk’s potential to be a national success. We look forward to working with the Parenting Research Centre on exploring the possibility of a national rollout, and to find out what sort of impact it could have on the lives of children across Australia,” said PRF Head of Partnerships Yasmin Narielvala. 

Smalltalk is about using everyday opportunities and the activities that many parents already do in the home to enhance their children’s learning and development, and helps parents to look after themselves and build links with their community and local services.

For more information about smalltalk, please visit this website.