Evaluation of the Community Playgroup Program

Investigators:

Alanna Sincovich, Tess Gregory, Yasmin Harman-Smith

Project description:

Community playgroup provides an opportunity for children to learn through play and for caregivers to develop social networks and strengthen parenting skills. Playgroup attendance is likely to have a positive impact on child development through several pathways; there is, however, limited national and international research quantifying the effects of playgroups on outcomes for families and children. Institute researchers worked together with Playgroup Australia as well as jurisdictional playgroup associations to address this gap in evidence.

In 2015, at the request of Playgroup Australia, we conducted a mixed methods evaluation of the Community Playgroup Program across Australia. The evaluation sought to explore the relationship between attending playgroup and children’s early development, as well as facilitators and barriers to Community Playgroup attendance. Using data from the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) in 2012, results demonstrated that children who attended playgroup in early childhood had better development at school entry. Although a considerable number of children across Australia were attending playgroup, the evaluation highlighted opportunities to extend these benefits to a greater number of children.

The AEDC is conducted triennially for all children across Australia in their first year of full-time school. Data from 2015 and 2018 collections were subsequently analysed to examine trends in playgroup attendance over time and whether playgroup continued to offer the same benefits for children’s development. Findings showed that playgroup attendance increased since 2012 amongst the country’s most vulnerable children and demonstrated a consistent positive relationship between playgroup attendance and development at school entry. Playgroup bodies continue to use evidence produced through this research to advocate for the importance of playgroups, most recently in a Playgroup Statement developed by the Playgroup Australia National Advisory Group in 2022; a national call to action to governments and stakeholders to realise the benefit of playgroup for all children and families.

Project output:

Sincovich, A., Gregory, T., Harman-Smith, Y, & Brinkman, S. (2019). Exploring associations between playgroup attendance and early childhood development at school-entry in Australia: A cross-sectional population level study. American Educational Research Journal, 57(2), 475-503. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831219854369

Sincovich, A., Harman-Smith, Y., & Brinkman, S. (2019). The reach of playgroups and their benefit for children across Australia: A comparison of 2012, 2015, and 2018 AEDC data. Child Health, Development, and Education Team, Telethon Kids Institute. Adelaide, South Australia.

Gregory, T., Sincovich, A., Harman-Smith, Y., & Brinkman, S. (2017). The reach of Playgroups across Australia and their benefits from children’s development: A comparison of 2012 and 2015 AEDC data. Telethon Kids Institute. Adelaide, South Australia.

Gregory, T., Harman-Smith, Y., Sincovich, A., Wilson, A., & Brinkman, S. (2016). It takes a village to raise a child: The influence and impact of playgroups across Australia. Telethon Kids Institute. Adelaide, South Australia. ISBN 978-0-9876002-4-0.

Funders of the project:

Playgroup Australia