everybodybelongs is about understanding and sharing simple ways we can all make a real difference by showing kids with additional needs and their families that everybody is welcome and important in our communities. Everybody belongs – find out more.
Reflect on the video with some thought provoking questions here.
Supporting belonging and inclusion
There are many things you can do to support belonging and inclusion including smile to help someone feel welcome/connect; ask another parent or carer how they are going, can I help, what do you need?; Invite another parent or carer for coffee; Invite a child to play; Provide a sensory space at your event, activity or business.
The Belonging Project – everybodybelongs
Children with additional needs sometimes understand what they see, hear or feel in a different way to many people. The message from parents and kids is “see me as the person I am, accept me, don’t judge me. I’m a person just like you”. Everybody belongs.
The Belonging Project started as a collaborative research project of the Northern Rivers Social Development Council (now Social Futures) and the Centre for Children and Young People at Southern Cross University in 2012-13. We talked with children aged 0-8 with additional needs and their families about what it means to feel included and connected in the Tweed Shire Community. Children drew maps of their lives, showing the places they like to go and the people they go there with. Parents told us what works well and talked about barriers to inclusion for their kids and their families.
Now we are working with people, groups, businesses and services in communities across the Northern in NSW to build understanding together and share simple ways we can all make a real difference to show kids with additional needs and their families that everybody is welcome and important in our communities.
Check out the everybodybelongs video.
The Belonging Project is funded by the NSW Department of Family and Community Services, Ageing, Disability and Home Care. Please feel free to use ‘everybody belongs’ materials to promote inclusion in your community.
The Belonging Project acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land where we live and work and their continuing connection to land, water, sea and community. We pay respects to Australia’s First Peoples, to their unique and diverse cultures, and to Elders past, present and future