Breaking Barriers to Employment
The Hopscotch program was an Anglicare WA innovation designed to help parents of young children overcome barriers to employment. By providing accessible training, personal development, and work placement opportunities, we empower parents to build confidence and take the next step toward paid work opportunities.
The Approach
In partnership with the Dudley Park Child and Parent Centre (CPC) in Mandurah and Community Skills WA, the team went about creating a new approach that put parents first. By building upon the existing trusted relationship between parents and the Dudley Park CPC and access to the onsite creche facilities, we created a safe, supportive space where a cohort of parents could:
- Build personal confidence and resilience
- Access formal training opportunities
- Gain hands-on experience in a work placement program
- Cultivate a welcoming and fun group setting
- Get assistance with financial brokerage and life administration
The program was co-designed with parents who had firsthand experience of work exclusion. This allowed a better understanding of what works best for them and allowed us to refine a scalable model that would provide real support where needed.
The Outcomes
- 100% program completion by all participants.
- Significant growth in confidence for the participants.
- Clear direction and career progression for participants.
- Successful transitions into employment and further training.
- A scalable model leveraging Child and Parent Centres to enhance pathways for parents accessing their services.
The opportunity for a Hopscotch-like model to be rolled out is timely right now, as the Australian Government considers opportunities for person-centred solutions with better outcomes for jobseekers as part of Parent Pathways.
