Early Parenting Practice - PDM1180

Proudly delivered in conjunction with Victoria’s leading Early Parenting Centre, Queen Elizabeth Centre, our Early Parenting courses are ideal for a wide range of government, education system, health, and social care professionals whose work regularly focusses on children under 4yo and their parents/carers.

Who should attend

This course is relevant to a wide range of professionals including but not limited to EPC employees, Maternal Child Health Nurses, Early Childhood Educators, Midwives and Paediatric Nurses, Paediatricians, Kindergarten Teachers, Department of Education, Local Government (Family & Children Services, Playgroups, Libraries, Kindergartens, Child Protection etc.), Family Services, Mental Health workers, Students doing a TAFE/University Course in a related field already i.e. not already working in the field.

What you will learn

On completion of this course participants will be able to:

  • Critically analyse and synthesise relevant empirical evidence in relation to systems and ecological theories to describe the influences and impacts on child health outcomes specific to early parenting.
  • Critically review and critique a variety of literature to evaluate why the first 1000 days are critical for a child's cognitive, social, emotional and physical growth and development.
  • Apply evidence-informed information and strategies relating to infant/child sleep and settling, when supporting parenting.
  • Demonstrate knowledge and transmission of information to parents of young children with safe, evidence-based informed age-appropriate play-based learning that promotes early childhood development.
  • Recognise and understand infant and toddler cues and transmit this knowledge when supporting parents/carers to engage and respond appropriately to their child's needs using evidence-informed approaches.
  • Generate knowledge of community agencies/supports that foster family social connectedness, recognising their roles in reducing social isolation and improving health outcomes for young children and their families.

Program structure

WEEK 1 – ON-SITE

  • Early parenting roles and opportunities
  • Victorian Early Parenting Centres
  • Practice Workshop: Walk in their shoes: Step through a family’s early parenting experience and support programs

WEEK 2 – ON-SITE

  • Parent and family health
  • Perinatal mental health
  • Maternal health
  • Practice Workshop 2: Health screening
  • Assessment Quiz

WEEK 3 – ON-SITE

  • Optimising infant and child health and growth in early parenting
  • Practice Workshop 3: Infant and child health and growth
  • Assessment Quiz

WEEK 4 – ON-SITE

  • Infant and child nutrition
  • Creating optimal mealtimes
  • Practice Workshop 4: First foods and meal environments
  • Assessment Quiz

WEEK 5 – ONLINE

  • Assessment completion in person

WEEK 6 – ON-SITE

  • Infant and child cues
  • Infant states and state modulation
  • Option to complete: Keys to Infant CareGiving

WEEK 7 – ON-SITE

  • Child Development: trajectory and influences
  • Child behaviour: expectations and realities
  • Play: building relationships, promoting development and learning about the world
  • Practice Workshop 4: Creating age-appropriate play-based spaces
  • Assessment Quiz

WEEK 8 – ON-SITE

  • Assessment 2 completion onsite

WEEK 9 – ON-SITE

  • Creating child-safe early parenting spaces
  • Recognising and responding to unsafe child environments
  • Practice Workshop 5: Creating child-safe early parenting spaces

WEEK 10 – ONLINE

  • Assessment completion in person

WEEK 11 – ON-SITE

  • Infant and toddler sleep requirements, behaviours and patterns
  • Infant and toddler sleep and settling strategies

WEEK 12 – ON-SITE

  • Infant and Toddler Sleep and Settling strategies – translation to practice
  • Practice Workshop 6: Simulation, observation and practice of strategies
  • Assessment 4

WEEK 13 – ONLINE

  • Self-directed assessment preparation

Accelerate your qualification

Eligible participants who complete the micro-credential can receive 6 credit points of unspecified credit towards the future Graduate Certificate of Early Parenting.

Note: Successful completion of a micro-credential does not guarantee admission into an award course. Prospective students must meet the eligibility and admission requirements for the award course. A micro-credential can only be used as credit towards a single degree on one occasion, and is valid for 7 years.

For more details please email pgradenq@monash.edu or shortcourses.depm@monash.edu

Dr Mandy O'Connor

Dr Mandy O’Connor is a Developmental Psychologist with expertise in Intervention Mapping, Implementation Science, evaluations and program, framework and model development. Her research interests include parenting, parent-child relationships, child development, family violence, disability, and women’s health and wellbeing.

She developed the Victorian Early Parenting Centres Outcomes Framework for the Victorian Government Department of Health and is leading the implementation of the framework across Victoria.

Dr O’Connor works as a research-in-residence with Monash’s Health and Social Care Unit (HSCU) industry partners, embedded in organisations, to ensure the translation of knowledge and research reaches clinicians, practitioners, co-ordinators and managers across the organisation. Her strength is building relationships with partners and across sectors and disciplines

Helen Cunningham (QEC)

Helen is a registered general nurse and midwife with post graduate qualifications in Management, Neonatal Intensive Care, Training and Assessment, Child, Family and Community Nursing and Master in Public Health.

Helen has worked as a MCH Nurse, in clinical and senior roles across local and state government for 20 years. In 2017 Helen commenced as Director of Nursing and Clinical Services at the Queen Elizabeth Centre (QEC), Victoria’s leading Early Parenting Centre (EPC).

Since 2021, Helen has been QEC Director of Clinical Innovation and Development, leading the development of the Victorian EPC Outcomes Framework, Clinical Practice Guidance and Training and Development to support the rapidly expanding EPC sector.

Learn more about the program's terms and conditions.

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