Abstract:
The importance of play for a child’s development is well established, indeed, play is considered so important for childhood development that it has been recognised by the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights as a basic right of every child [1]. Accordingly, parents and caregivers should be encouraged to provide opportunities for their children to engage in regular, unstructured play, however evidence suggests that today’s children are engaging in much less play with other children than previous generations due to a range of factors, such as demographic changes in family structures, an increased focus on literacy and numeracy, an increase in passive entertainment, as well as the perception of a lack of safe outdoor areas for children to play [2]. Playgroups provide a safe environment where children can play with similar aged children on a regular basis, and as such they offer an important opportunity for parents to assist in their child’s development. In addition, playgroups also have a range of positive effects on parents and caregivers which are likely to translate into better outcomes for children, such as reduced social isolation, improved parenting skills and self-confidence, increased knowledge of relevant community services, and a greater awareness of their child’s needs [3-5].
Though the importance of play is clear, there is limited research quantifying the specific impact of attending playgroup on childhood development and wellbeing. The Telethon Kids Institute was engaged by Playgroup Australia to undertake a comprehensive quantitative and qualitative evaluation of Community Playgroups across Australia in order to examine the role of playgroup in the lives of Australian families, and how this might impact on a child’s early development.
The overall objectives of the evaluation were to:
- Explore the facilitators and barriers that influence Community Playgroup attendance, and
- Examine the impact of attending playgroups on children’s early development.
The first qualitative component of the evaluation was completed in 2014 with the aim of exploring the factors that have contributed to the gradual decline in membership of Community Playgroups since 2006 [6]. Focus groups and interviews with parents and carers both attending and not attending Community Playgroups were conducted in order to explore families’ experiences of playgroup and the factors that contribute to playgroup attendance.
The second quantitative component of the evaluation aimed to understand: (1) how many Australian children attend playgroups, the types of children and families that attend playgroup, whether some children were missing out, and (2) the impact of attending playgroups on children’s early development. This work utilised a national dataset measuring child development for all Australian children who started school in 2012 (the Australian Early Development Census). The results of the quantitative component of the evaluation are presented in this report.
Results demonstrate that children who attend playgroups during early childhood have significantly better child development when they start school, and that while a considerable number of children across Australia are attending playgroup, there are opportunities to increase the reach of playgroups to extend these benefits to an increased number of children.