Please check this link for parenting courses and other events advertised on the  Southside Initiative/Healthy Schools Network ACT website:

Southside Initiative – Healthy Schools Network ACT

1. Parent Effectiveness Training (P.E.T.), Parent Skills  (https://www.parentskills.com.au/)

The emphasis in P.E.T. is to improve relationships, and help children develop self-discipline where there is no use of reward or punishment.  In contrast, behavioural courses rely on reward and punishment to control child behaviour (a form of external discipline).

For details, cost and enrolment please contact

Parent Skills: info@parentskills.com.au   

https://www.parentskills.com.au/

2. Parent Effectiveness Training, Communikeys (www.communikeys.com.au)

Location: Holder.

Instructor – Ros Lockley, ros@communikeys.com.au; 0448 242 101.

3. 🌟 Join My Free “Ask Me Anything” Sessions Every Tuesday! 🌟

Are you curious about the NDIS, disability, or autism? Join me (Jonathan Laloz) every Tuesday for a face-to-face “Ask Me Anything” session, where I’ll share insights and answer your questions!

As the author of Think Different Win Big and a TEDx speaker on neurodiversity in the workplace, I’ve dedicated my career to championing inclusivity. Whether you’re navigating the NDIS, supporting a loved one, or simply want to learn more, these sessions are for you!

🗓️ When: Every Tuesday
📍 Where: Canberra Innovation Network – Level 5, 1 Moore St Canberra City
💬 What: Open Q&A on NDIS, disability, and autism

These sessions are free and open to all. Bring your questions, and let’s have a meaningful chat and a coffee 🙂

4.  Kippax Uniting Church

During term time:

Sing and Play Together – a group on Monday mornings, 9.30-11 at Kippax Uniting Church, for young children and their carers to play and engage through music. $2 per session.

In holidays:

Kippax Kids Holiday Happenings – craft and games days for Primary school children, 10am -2pm on the Thursdays of school holidays.  $5 per child, max $10 per family. Bookings advised, through the KUC office 62541733.

5. Capital Region Community Services (CRCS), Belconnen

Family Education:

Family Education provides a range of group programs including, but not limited to, parenting education including Circle of Security, Tuning Into Kids, and Bringing Up Great Kids, therapeutic supported family play programs including but not limited to, Creative Arts, Early Links to Learning, GET UP – Young Parents group, Koori Playgroup and supported community groups including but not limited to Seasons for Growth, Yurwang-Gulwan Koori Girls Group, Yurwang-Bullarn Strong Women’s group. The programs operate both face to face across the ACT and online. Referrals are made through CRCS Connect by emailing Connect@crcs.com.au or calling 6264 0200 and asking for a member of the Connect team. Please note, some programs in Family Education are partnerships run with other services, so referral pathways may be different.

Early Autism Education (EAE):

Young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), related conditions and general learning delays can often use a bit of extra support along their learning journey.

Capital Region Community Services’ Early Autism Education (EAE) is an early developmental program that builds on each child’s strengths and interests to develop skills for life.

Our in-home or clinic-based sessions use teaching strategies tailored to suit your child’s own style of processing information. We focus on speech, communication, cognitive, play and social skills to enable children to engage in everyday life activities, education and social settings.

This program may be covered under an NDIS plan.

Find out more at https://crcs.com.au/programs-services/wellbeings/early-autism-education/, email eae@crcs.com.au or call 02 6264 0200.

6. Marymead CatholicCare – Family Skills Groups:

• Parenting after Separation
• Working with Strong Emotions
• Navigating Parenting
• Resilient Mums/Dads/Carers
• Seasons for Growth (uses imagery of the seasons to help a young person understand that change and loss are part of life, and grief is a normal response to these losses).

Are you the caregiver of a baby or young child? Are you worried about how they are feeling or behaving? Are you feeling anxious, worried or overwhelmed?

Being a parent or caregiver can be really tough but you don’t have to do it on your own, we are here to support you. Marymead is a recognised leader in the delivery of the Circle of Security Intensive (COS-I) program, a 20-week program for parents/caregivers of children 0-8 years old who are needing support.

Using filmed interactions between the caregiver and the child, the caregiver is encouraged to increase their sensitivity and responsiveness to their children’s signals for closeness and comfort, as well as reflect on their own thoughts, feelings and behaviours and how their own experiences could be impacting their care giving patterns.

If this program sounds like it could benefit you and your family, please reach out to us today. We currently have availability for families with children 1-4 years old, in both an individual or group setting, with the next group starting at the beginning of Semester Two. A small fee per session may apply depending on individual circumstances.

To find out more, please contact Marymead on 1800 427 920 or email intake@marymead.org.au 

8. Sanctuary Aus

Sanctuary Aus is a Canberra-based community organisation based in Holder. We support families facing difficult times due to such problems as relationship difficulties, sickness, disability, developmental trauma, money problems, addiction or isolation.

The services include:

• Disability Support Services – NDIS or private. We work  in a range of settings to best meet the young person’s needs, including  the family home, school or community settings. We work with individuals, the parents and the whole family.
• Women’s Carer Support Group – Thursdays 12 to 1.30pm
• Circles of Security Parenting Program
• Cool Kids ASD – teaching your child to successfully manage their anxiety. Ages 7 to 11.
• Club Mojo – helping young people to build their self-esteem, recognise and deal with their emotions in a safe and healthy way. Ages 7 to 11.
• Parents and Sibling Counselling – to support families with members who have a disability and/or challenging behaviours.

To find out more about the services, call 0431 449 822, email us at info@sanctuaryaus.org.au or visit us at Floor 2A, 27 Mulley Street, Holder.

9. Child and Family Centres in Tuggeranong, West Belconnen and Gungahlin

Child and Family Centres provide a range of free group programs including, but not limited to, Circle of Security, Bringing Up Great Kids, Managing Anxiety With Cool Kids and Tuning Into Kids.

For more information contact

• Gungahlin Child and Family Centre 02 6207 0120
• Tuggeranong Child and Family Centre 02 6207 8228
• West Belconnen Child and Family Centre 02 6207 2904.

10. MacKillop Family Services

MacKillop runs a range of parenting courses throughout the year, designed to support families to build strong and positive relationships. Some of these courses are delivered through online parenting groups: https://www.mackillop.org.au/programs/parenting-workshops

11. Penthos, Responding to Grief and Loss in couples and families, A Free Mental Health Resource for Parents experiencing Unresolved Grief

Penthos is an established mental health organization offering a specialised 16-week therapy program for couples whose grief is not resolving, and who are experiencing relationship difficulties, at least three months after the death of their child or loss of a pregnancy.
Couples who have lost a child including adult children are also eligible for our program.
The program provides a private and comfortable space to explore and work through the painful feelings involved in losing a child or a pregnancy.

Couples attend a confidential 50-minute session once a week for 16 weeks, at a time agreed between the couple and the therapist.

The sessions are provided by specially trained and experienced mental health professionals (psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, clinical social workers and couple therapists) in their own consulting rooms or via video call for those who cannot easily attend in-room sessions. If using a video call, the couple must be together, using the same video device and be in a quiet, private room.

There is no charge for therapy as the Penthos Program is fully funded by private donors who understand the impact of grief on couples and families.

How to contact Penthos:

1 . Ring the Penthos Program Coordinator, Carla Farah 0416 341005, between 9- 6pm.
If the coordinator is not available, please leave a message and she will return your call as soon as possible.
2. Email admin@penthos.org.au
3. Visit the website www.penthos.org.au

12. PERKS Parenting Seminars

ii) Parenting adolescents and pre-teens with mental health concerns – four seminars over four weeks. Topics covered are adolescent development, anxiety, depression, self harm, family conflict, school refusal, safety planning. Parents will be provided with information, practical tips and tricks on all topics.

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/perks-parenting-seminars-tickets-641700221637

Workshop – Preschool Transition 

Is your child starting preschool or school in 2025? The ACT Education Directorate has launched the Preschool Pathways program, designed to support children in their transition to preschool.

Come to this session to get tips on how to prepare your child socially and emotionally for this transition and how to use play and fun to learn. There will be Q&A with the Preschool Pathways.

Where:  Lyons Early Childhood School 
When: Thursday 21 November
Time: 9:15 am -10:45 am 
Presenting Organisation: Preschool Pathways Partners 
Children Welcome:  Yes
Supper Provided: Yes
Cost: FREE
Registration Required: Yes Click Here 

13. Transform Parenting, Childbirth and Parenting Education