Our program supports parents to participate in their young child’s early literacy learning by providing resources and training delivered to family homes. Owned and managed by the Napranum PaL Group, the program is currently operating in communities across Queensland, New South Wales, and Western Australia.
Empowering parents, building confidence and capacity in families and community ownership are key elements of PaL.
PaL was developed in 2001 in response to parent requests to ‘help their kids get ready for school’. After investigating possible early childhood programs, the women of Napranum felt the best fit for Indigenous families and for their community would be achieved by developing their own program. The PaL program, which was developed and trialled in Napranum in 2001, was the result of a collaborative effort between Napranum preschool staff, early childhood educators, Napranum community members and parents. Seed funding provided by The Rio Tinto Aboriginal Foundation enabled the concept to become a reality.
In 2004, the Napranum Preschool PaL Group was established as a not for profit company limited by guarantee. This move was to protect the intellectual property of the program and ensure community ownership would always be retained. The company is governed by a board made up of Indigenous and community members and is now known as the Napranum Parents and Learning (PaL) Group.