About

Hi - I'm Ann Hefferan

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I began delivering the Hand in Hand approach, in July 1992, mentoring both parents and professionals (including family services, child care centre and pre-school staff) in using what was then known as Listening to Children.  

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From 1996 to 2001, I worked in the community services sector as an employee - first with youth, then (as a senior social worker) with people assessed as having multiple, severe and complex needs.

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In 2001, I contacted parents who had continued to meet in parent support groups to keep them on track and supported by their peers in using the tools they'd learnt in Listening to Children classes and ongoing support groups. They were very keen to take up my suggestion that we form a non-profit organisation to take the approach to more parents and more of the organisations which supported parents.