Hub Showcase: Kingston State School FamilyLinQ Hub

Published

Wednesday, September 18, 2024 - 1:55 PM

Please provide an overview of your Hub.

The Kingston State School FLQ hub has recently opened. The idea is to provide a place of welcome and connection for the Kingston State School families and the families that live in the catchment or suburb. It has been recognised for some time that many families in the community are looking for more engagement with one another, with the school, and with services and opportunities in the area. The hub will offer opportunities for participants to access health and early childhood development services; participate in community and adult learning activities; and access family supports and quality education and learning services as they desire. These connections will take place at FamilyLinQ as we start with our children at the centre, and as we encourage families to take full advantage of the opportunities on offer in the hub. Ultimately our goal is to create a sense of genuine community and belonging.

What is your role at the Hub?

I serve as the Senior Community Connector and honestly the role is all about fostering healthy relationships. These relationships are multifaceted and occur between children and their families, service providers in the hub, their school and community at large. The goal is to help all of these parties connect in meaningful ways to create positive outcomes for children and their families.

The partners we work with include Gunya Meta, Village Connect, Metro South Health, Children’s Health Queensland, and a wide range of local community organisations, largely informed by family aspirations.

Please share a highlight from the FamilyLinQ Hub at Kingston State School.

For me the biggest highlight to date would be the soft opening of our doors to the Kingston State School families. I was taken back by the willingness of families to share their stories to myself and the team.  For example, what they like about the school, their hopes for their children, and how comfortable the felt in the hub. The opening has been slow and deliberate, and it is already easy to see the meaningful space that the Hub will occupy in the community. That is very humbling.

What have families told you about their experiences at the Hub?

So far, the most common feedback is that families feel very welcomed by the team, and the energy is very relaxed and calming - which they feel is important. They are wanting to keep returning and they are very much looking forward to when we will have a full suite of activities and services on offer in term 4.

What would you like to see for all children and families accessing Child and Family Hubs across Australia?

Ideally each hub would cater specifically to the unique aspirations and needs of the community they are serving. Not a cookie-cutter approach. In fact, the offerings of any hub should be formed in collaboration with the children and families who are accessing the hub. This almost inherently guarantees that we have safe and respectful centres for all who care to access it. The hubs themselves are positively networked with their local community, government, services and programs, so that participants feel that they are valued and informed. I feel this approach will foster trust and engagement which will lead to a deeper sense of belonging for a lot of families that could easily become alienated or feel disconnected from their community. Ultimately this is what we are striving to achieve at FamilyLinQ and we are very much looking forward to learning and growing along this journey with our families.

For more information, please visit: www.familylinq.org.au