Programs/Groups

Orange Family Support offers the following parenting groups and programs. For further information, or to register for one of our groups please call (02) 6361 4883, or email admin@ofss.org.au

Rainbows

Rainbows is a program for children who may face a myriad of losses, such as:

  • Abandonment / Separation

  • Divorce

  • Death of a loved one

  • Absent fathers or mothers

  • Family member’s serious/chronic illness

  • Homelessness

  • Natural disasters

Each Rainbows’ session incorporates specific program objectives and goals that can result in immediate and long-term benefits. They are:

  • To develop and strengthen problem-solving and coping skills and appropriate behavior and anger management

  • To reduce emotional pain and suffering of children

  • To help children who have experienced traumatic changes in their families improve communication with their family and peers.

Children meet on a regular basis with a trained facilitator to work through the age specific Rainbows’ program. Rainbows offers an emotionally safe environment for children to express their grief and learn how to rebuild their lives.

Keeping Children Safe

  • Keeping Children Safe is a six-module program run over two days aiming to assist parents, carers and community members to have a greater awareness of child abuse, neglect and its effects.

  • It assists families to develop a variety of tools and skills to help protect and create a safe environment, for children and young people.

  • Keeping Children Safe discusses child protection in the context of the Children and Young Persons’ (Care and Protection) Act 1998.

  • Each session targets different aspects of understanding and overcoming child abuse and neglect:

Day 1

Session 1: Introduction to the course and how Department of Communities and Justice assesses risk.

Session 2: Identifying what is neglect and ideas for prevention.

Session 3: Identifying what is physical abuse and alternative ideas for managing children’s behaviour.

Day 2

Session 4: Identifying how emotional abuse and domestic violence impact on a child’s life and how to build a child’s self-esteem.

Session 5: How to teach children protective behaviours to help protect them from sexual abuse.

Session 6: When to be concerned about indicators of abuse and neglect, disclosure, and helping children cope with abuse.

1-2-3 Magic

Effective Discipline for Children, and Emotion Coaching

1‑2‑3 Magic: Effective Discipline for Children from 2 to 12:

  • Is a behaviour management program for parents and carers of young children.

  • Is a parents‑in‑charge program that eliminates arguing, yelling or smacking.

  • Is easy to learn and it works.

  • Is gentle, but action-oriented.

  • Parents like it because it reduces marital stress and helps them feel better about themselves as parents.

  • Parents can learn the program one day and start the next. The basic logic and simplicity of the method means that it is easy to remember for both parents and kids, especially under conditions of emotional stress!

According to 1‑2‑3 Magic, the job of parenting consists of three tasks:

  • Controlling obnoxious behaviour (arguing, whining, fighting, tantrums);

  • Encouraging good behaviour (going to bed, homework, eating);

  • Strengthening your relationship with your child (praise, active listening, shared fun).

Is 1‑2‑3 Magic evidenced-based?

  • Yes.  The ‘Hospital for Sick Children’ in Toronto, Canada, conducted a large controlled study using the 1‑2‑3 Magic video to train parents of 3 to 4‑year‑olds.

  • At a one year follow‑up, not only were the kids much better behaved, but the mums and dads also experienced a significant reduction in parental stress and depression (J. Am. Acad. Child & Adolescent. Psychiatry, 2003).