First Steps Count Taree

You’re Invited to the First Steps Count 2025 Family Christmas Party 🎉 Enjoy carols, live music from Fringe Benefit & Danielle and Trish from Sing and Soul, a Santa visit, sausage sizzle, popcorn, cake and merch. Be sure to grab a raffle ticket and you could win a paddleboard, weekend retreats, a signed jersey, spa vouchers and more. It’s a festive, fun-filled afternoon for the whole family—don’t miss it! 🪑 Bring a chair or picnic rug for comfortable seating 📅 When & Where Date: Sunday 30 November Time: 3 pm – 6 pm Location: First Steps Count Child & Community Centre, 4 Myall Ave, Taree NSW 🎟️ Entry & Tickets Admission: $5 per family (pay cash or card at the gate) Raffle tickets: $5 each • 5 for $20, purchase online For more info 👉 LINK IN BIO

Tickets on sale now for our Christmas Fundraiser Raffle! 🎫 We have a fantastic range of prizes donated by our brilliant local businesses, head over to the website now and be in with a chance to WIN! 🥳 For tickets & details 👉 LINK IN BIO You could win: ⭐ Stand up Paddleboard donated by LJ Hooker Old Bar Beach ⭐ Two night stay in Spa Cottage at Kiwarrak Country Retreat, Old Bar, donated by Kiwarrak Country Retreat ⭐ Rabbitoh’s jersey signed by 2025 NRL Rabbitohs, donated by Lattrell Mitchell ⭐ Accommodation voucher at Finns at Old Bar, donated by Finns at Old Bar ⭐ Two night stay at Crowdy Bay Eco Resort, donated by Crowdy Bay Eco Resort ⭐ Tour and lunch NSW Parliament House, Sydney, with Tanya Thompson MP, donated by Tanya Thompson ⭐ Christmas Photo shoot with Danni Harrison Photography, donated by Danni Harrison Photography ⭐ $200 Wild Cosmo Voucher donated by Wild Cosmo Flowers ⭐ Online Parenting course with Maggie Dent, donated by Maggie Dent ⭐ $100 voucher for Coastal Aesthetics and Wellbeing, Taree, donated by Coastal Aesthetics and Wellbeing ⭐ Surf Lesson, donated by Saltwater Surf School ⭐ Voucher for Art workshop donated by Twig and Soul ⭐ NAK Hair care pack donated by Jessica Nye ⭐ Picnic basket, picnic rug and dip platter, donated by Circle of Friends Wingham ⭐ First Steps Count Merchandise Pack

Another Stellar School Holiday Program 👣 Over the Autumn school holidays, the Hub was filled with laughter, creativity and connection. We're so grateful to the service providers who generously delivered the majority of these sessions in-kind, sharing their expertise and enthusiasm to make this program possible for local families. Read more 👉 /news-media/2026-autumn-school-holidays @mvnservices @karitanensw

Throwback to our FSC table at the International Women’s Day Luncheon at Club Taree, supporting Ronald McDonald House. 💛 We raised funds to sponsor seats for FSC mums and volunteers to join us at this stunning event on Thursday 05 March, along with Hub Director Clare Brennan and Hub Leader Toni Carson. These generous sponsorships came from individuals, businesses and organisations in our community. Read more 👉 /news-media/iwd-luncheon-2026 @clubtaree @rmhfamilyretreat_forster

Announcing Our Partnership with Paton Hooke Lawyers 🤝 The partnership will see Paton Hooke assist with license agreements for service providers operating within the hub, offer ad hoc legal advice, and support the hub’s commitment to transparency in its operations. We're incredibly proud to be partnering with yet another fantastic local business! Read more 👉 /news-media/partnership-with-paton-hooke-lawyers @patonhookelawyers

Meet Sophie Nicholls, Our Research Partner with STARS ✨ We recently interviewed our Research Facilitator Sophie Nicholls, who is supporting the STARS for Kids research project at the hub. Based at the hub in Taree, Sophie works with the University of Sydney to evaluate the impact of child and family hubs across three sites in Australia – Taree (NSW), Carramar (NSW) and Wanneroo (WA). Watch the interview 👉 /news-media/stars-research-facilitator-sophie-nicholls

🏆 FSC Building Recognised at the 2026 NSW Regional Architecture Awards! The Australian Institute of Architects honoured our centre with Best Sustainable Architecture, Best Public Architecture, and the Overall Best Regional Award. Factors that led to our consideration: 🌱 Biophilic design and large skylights flood the hub with natural light, cutting artificial‑lighting needs. ☀️ Solar panels and high‑performance insulation make the building energy‑neutral, aligning with the Living Building Challenge’s “positive and regenerative” goals. 🤝 Extensive consultation with local Biripi elders ensured cultural relevance and respect for Biripi Country. Special thanks to Austin McFarland Architects Pty Ltd – visionary architects behind the sustainable, community‑focused design. This recognition underscores how thoughtful, eco‑friendly architecture can amplify social impact — creating safe, inclusive spaces where children and families thrive. #ArchitectureAwards #SustainableDesign #PublicArchitecture #FirstStepsCount #CommunityHub #BiripiCountry #RegionalExcellence

🌞 Throwback to our vibrant Summer School‑Holiday Program Over two weeks in Jan 2026 the Centre became a hub of creativity, play and community connection for our school‑age families. From make‑your‑own canvas bags to pirate adventures, polymer‑clay sculptures, magic‑wand gardening, sing‑alongs, and kid‑friendly yoga, the energy was unforgettable. A huge thank‑you to the amazing service providers who brought these activities to life: • Toni Carson & Victoria Schumann – Make‑Your‑Own‑Bag workshop • Jarred (Coast Kids Occupational Therapy) – Pirate‑themed craft & play • Alicia – Gardening, nature play & magic‑wand making, plus sing‑along sessions • Elaine – Paper‑plate character workshop • Kate (Karitane) – Co‑facilitated the sing‑along sessions • Fran (Wellbeing For Kids) – Kid‑friendly yoga sessions Your enthusiasm and expertise created safe, inclusive spaces where children could explore, learn, and belong. The glowing feedback from families reaffirms the value of these holiday programmes, and we’re excited to expand our offerings in the months ahead. Read more over on our website: 👉 /news-media/2025-2026-schoolholiday-program #Throwback #Community #CreativePlay #SchoolHolidayProgram #FirstStepsCount #ChildWellbeing #FamilyEngagement

SEEN The Film is now available to watch on streaming services 📽️ After our successful screening of this impactful film in July 2025, we're excited to share that it is now available on a range of streaming services. Focusing on the transformative power of personal healing for parents, this is a must-watch! Find out where to watch here 👉 /

🤝 STARS Partnership Day in Sydney On 04 Dec, representatives from the three STARS for Kids research sites (Taree, Carramar NSW, and Wanneroo WA) gathered at UNSW Kensington for the first in‑person meeting in over two years. 🗝️ Key highlights: • Strengthening remote and face‑to‑face collaboration across sites • Honest, timely conversations facilitated by Michelle Halse, Director of Living Collaborations • Insightful presentations from the Centre for Research Excellence on positive childhood experiences, tiered‑care models, service navigation, and integrated hubs • Sophie Nicholls showcased early themes emerging from the STARS co‑design research in Taree 💛 Special thanks to: • Clare Brennan, Director of First Steps Count, for representing Taree • Sophie Nicholls, STARS Research Facilitator • Bree Katsamangos, Convenor of Mid Coast 4 Kids • All participating researchers and staff: Sini Lambiase, Christine Phillis, Erin Brandtman, Bree Katsamangos, Sophie Nicholls, Bec Young, Sharlene Vlahos, Sue Woolfenden, Nina D’Vax, Jo Cole, Maite Diez, James John, Valsa Eapen, Ellen Meagher, Jackie Davis This day reinforced the power of in‑person connections for building strong, collaborative networks that drive evidence‑based improvements in child and family wellbeing. #STARSforKids #Collaboration #ResearchPartnership #ChildWellbeing #FirstStepsCount #CommunityImpact Read more on our website: 👉 /news-media/stars-partnership-day-december-2025

🎶 First Steps Count Staff Complete Rhythm2Recovery Training in Sydney 🪘 On November 20-21, team members Toni Carson and Victoria Schumann spent two intensive days in Sydney mastering the Rhythm2Recovery (R2R) therapeutic model—a blend of CBT, ACT, Positive Psychology, and somatic movement work. This was then launched to the first women’s R2R group in February, expanding our trauma‑informed services and fostering stronger collaboration with local service providers. Special thanks to our community partners for making this possible: 🩵 Scott Greenaway – for loaning the original training drums 🩵 Catholic Care – for providing additional percussion instruments 🩵 Communities for Children – for funding Toni’s participation in the training Their generous support removes financial barriers and enables us to bring innovative, holistic healing to families in our community. Read more over on our website 👉 /news-media/rhythm2recovery-training #TraumaInformedCare #Rhythm2Recovery #CommunitySupport #FirstStepsCount #ProfessionalDevelopment #Wellbeing

First Steps Count building is recognised on a national stage once again! 🏆 First Steps Count was recognised in the Public Buildings category at the 2025 Sustainability Awards, part of the Sustainability Summit held in Sydney on Wednesday, 19 November. More details here: 👉 .au/public-buildings-2025/first-steps-count-child-and-community-centre/ Bravo to the team at Austin McFarland Architects, as well as all the talented individuals and organisations who brought this building to life! 🪴 @austinmcfarlandarch