Squeals of delight echoed through the new playground at the Salvation Army in Kings Meadows, after the official opening of the Doorways to Parenting Facility. The Department of Social Services has funded the Salvation Army to deliver services over the next five years for facilitated playgroups at Kings Meadows, Norwood, Youngtown and Prospect. Corps officer Captain Jacky Laing said the new playground was a long time coming, and would be well loved. “This is a place where we now look at education as well as fun, and it has the structure of being a support for parents, and an educational place for both the parents and the children,” she said. Lead practitioner Cecily Lawrance-Harmey said there was a focus on school readiness and there were a number of programs which also focus on parents learning and improving their skills. “We do educational things right the way through, we start with music which includes counting songs, and we do colour recognition, while still keeping things fun,” she said.
