Playgroup NSW is excited to host The Power of The Play in the First 2000 Days, a sector development event designed for early childhood professionals dedicated to enhancing the development of young children.
We're excited for you to join us as expert speakers and panelists share their knowledge and insights on the critical role of play in a child’s early years and you, our valued audience, will have the opportunity to join in on, and ignite, the conversation about the Power of Play!
The Finer Details
Event Venue: Anne Cutler Seminar Room Level 4 , Western Sydney University, Westmead Innovation Quarter 160 Hawkesbury Rd, Westmead NSW 2145
Google Directions Link Here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/MTjQGuJJFVbpqVceA
Registration and light breakfast: 9am
Event starts: 9:30am
Main Event Concludes: 2:30pm
Afternoon Tea and Networking Event: 2:30pm - 4pm at Leaf & Co Westmead
Georgie Dent
Parenthood
Georgie Dent is a passionate and prominent advocate for children, parents, families and women. The former lawyer is the CEO of the Parenthood, a not for profit advocacy organisation that represents over 80,000 parents, carers and allies around Australia. Georgie is a regular media commentator and the author of Breaking Badly, her best selling memoir recounting the nervous breakdown she suffered when she was 25.
Genevieve Muir
Connected Parenting
Gen Muir is an Obstetric Social Worker, Parent Educator, LEGO DUPLO ambassador and mum to four boys. With a deep passion for early childhood development, she is dedicated to supporting families, caregivers, and educators in fostering strong, nurturing connections during the crucial early years. Over her career, Gen has guided over 40,000 parents through the joys and challenges of raising young children, offering practical insights and compassionate advice. Her recent book, Big People, Little Feelings (2024), and her co-hosted podcast, Beyond the Chaos, provide valuable resources for those working with or raising little ones, emphasising the importance of emotional resilience and play in early childhood.
Sue Hespos
Babylab
Developmental psychologist Professor Hespos is on a mission to show that babies think before they speak.
She runs BabyLab, the foremost infant research laboratory in Australia that conducts research with infants and children focusing on language acquisition, cognitive development and learning.
Historically, it was thought that infants are born with a relatively blank slate and knowledge is constructed through interactions between the infant and the environment. In this approach, the task for the young infant is to construct reality by gaining experience. But Professor Hespos champions a different position in her work, called core knowledge. The key tenet of this approach is that underneath all the things that vary across humans, there exists a set of perceptual and conceptual capacities that are common.
Natalie Pereira
Playgroup NSW
Natalie Pereira is an Intergenerational Specialist at Playgroup NSW who is dedicated to fostering meaningful connections between families and older Australians across New South Wales. With a background in aged care, Natalie has seen firsthand the transformative impact children can have on the well-being of older adults as well as the positive impact they have on a child’s overall development. Her passion lies in connecting generations, creating vibrant, inclusive communities where young and old alike can learn, grow, and thrive together.
Kellie Murray
Playgroup NSW
As a proud descendant of the Wiradjuri and Wonnarua peoples, Kellie has kinship and family connections around the NSW Murrumbidgee River and Hunter Valley. She is the Chief First Nations Officer at Playgroup NSW, with over 25 years’ experience working in education, early childhood, and Aboriginal education with First Nations families and community.
Kellie has always been passionate about working in and with her community for better outcomes for families. Her commitment lies in supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural priorities and aspirations for families and communities, as well as driving systemic change to support success.
In the nine years Kellie has been with Playgroup NSW, she has demonstrated a strong commitment for helping to drive self-determination and creating opportunities for families to connect with their communities and learn through play and cultural connections. She is very passionate about supporting Aboriginal families as they start their parenting journey and connecting them to Aboriginal community through song and dance and traditional learning techniques. This connection to culture is underpinned by established referral networks that support each families unique needs.
Kellie has developed strong working relationships with stakeholders, local government, and other organisations, work under a Community of Practice approach that fosters collaboration and continuous learning.
Ashley Scott
Rainbow Families
Ashley is the Executive Officer and one of the founders of Rainbow Families - a charity that supports, connects and empowers LGBTQ+ parents and their families. As a proud gay dad, in 2012 when Ashley’s eldest daughter was born, he was shocked at the lack of support for LGBTQ+ parents. In 2015 Ashley came together with other queer parents to create Rainbow Families. Since that time Ashley and Rainbow Families have supported thousands of parents across Australia to be their best, authentic selves.
Jo Ubilla
Village Connect
Jo Ubilla is Program Lead, Systems Navigator for a young parent program in SouthWest Sydney called Village Connect. Employed by Karitane, Jo’s role involves working with key stakeholders to find creative, sustainable ways to stop young parents from falling through gaps in the complex eco system of child and family health and wellbeing supports. Jo has a passion for understanding and designing ways of working based on the voices of those with lived and living experience.
Shari Sabatini
Shari is a Health Education Officer working with Karitane’s Village Connect program. Shari runs a young parent playgroup and facilitates multiple parent education programs. Shari is a strong advocate for young parents having had her first child at the age of 17. Shari is now a parent of 4. She has accomplished a lot in the last 12years, completing a Diploma in Community Services, Case management and she currently completing a Bachelor of Human Services.
Shauna Murphy
Shauna Murphy has been working with children for over thirty years. She has an attachment focused, child-centred, trauma-informed approach to working with families. She has run parenting courses, playgroups, and after school and holiday programs for primary children. Shauna has a holistic approach working with the whole family towards recovery from trauma. Shauna is an Early Childhood Counsellor and Project Officer at STARTTS where she delivers the STARTTS Early Childhood and Caregiver Support Program, including Growing Playing Learning Together Groups. Shauna has a Graduate Diploma in Counselling and a Bachelor of Arts/Law with Arts majors in Education (Honours) and Pure Mathematic.
Melo Kalemkiridis
Melo Kalemkeridis – Parent Peer Facilitator: Melo lives in Kangaroo Point, NSW with his wife, 15 yo son, and 13 yo daughter. It is because of Victoria, who has a significant intellectual disability, ADHD, and numerous physical challenges, that he is working in the disability sector… he does so in an effort to “pay it forward” to other parents, due to the positive impact other parents have had on his own parenting journey… which feeds into his philosophy of Better Parent, Better Partner, Better Person.
For the last 7 years, Melo has been delivering parenting programs on Secure Attachment, Emotion Coaching, and Family Leadership. He has been lucky to do this in Australia, Canada, Finland, and New Zealand. He has also led a dad's group for over 5 years, providing resources and a place for dads to connect. He sits on the Reference Group for Children, Families and Young People Advising the IAC to the NDIS, and also the Co-design Advisory group on Integrity and Fraud Prevention for the NDIS. As well as the Carers Advisory Group on Intellectual Disability for Clinical Innovation to NSW Health.
Most importantly, on weekends, Melo enjoys taking his son to his soccer games and getting out into the community with Victoria, anything from hitting the beach to shopping. Melo's motto, born from Victoria's energy and desire for social connection, is "Anywhere there are people, is somewhere Victoria can thrive.”
Thank you for being a part of this important conversation and taking the opportunity to connect and network with others in the Early Learning sector.
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