Playcentres are internationally recognised early childhood organisations that are unique to New Zealand. The Playcentre movement began as a parent co-operative during the 1940s to support families and promote new developments in early childhood education. Playcentres are supported by regional Playcentre associations and the National Playcentre Federation personnel (New Zealand Playcentre Federation, 2006). Te Marua/Mangaroa Playcentre is located in the north of Upper Hutt in a semirural community and operates on a sessional basis, five mornings a week. The Playcentre, with its Supporting Parents Alongside Children's Education (SPACE) programme, is a New Zealand early childhood Centre of Innovation (COI). (1) This new programme (piloted in 2003) was developed by the Hutt Playcentre Association predominantly for first-time parents with newborn infants. The SPACE programme, run by experienced, Playcentre-trained facilitators, aims to support parents in a group setting as they share the j ourney through their infant's early months. It offers first-time parents opportunities to listen to and develop links with a range of community organisations and service providers, for example, health professionals and local, community-based support services. Members of the research team include parents from Te Marua/Mangaroa Playcentre, members of the Hutt SPACE National Team, and research associates from Victoria University of Wellington. This article presents examples of how relationships and interactions with infants and their parents developed and transformed participation over time. Playcentre philosophy An integral part of the Playcentre movement's philosophy is based on the belief that reach their full potential most successfully when their parents understand their development and take part in the learning process (Densem & Chapman, 2000, p. 55). Playcentres have long been committed to children learning through self-initiated play. As Gwen Somerset (1994) commented: Once we accept that to play is to learn we cannot do other than appreciate the freedom of a child to choose his or her own play and to play until satisfied with the result. (p. 25) A second key principle of the Playcentre movement's philosophy is the parent co-operative concept. Parents are responsible for the day-to-day management in their Playcentres and all decisions are made by consensus. Leadership is a shared responsibility, as the Playcentre culture reflects the diversity of the community it serves. SPACE programme The SPACE programme arose out of interest in infants' education and a concern about targeted community-based services. Sue Pattinson (researcher) reflected on the idea in this way: I brought the idea to the meeting [Hutt Playcentre Association Playcentre support meeting] of starting a new group [or] session within [the] Playcentre for first-time parents of infants ... [The intention was] to offer this service to support first-time parents and their infants in [a] group situation in an early childhood setting. (S. Pattinson, personal communication, 15 July 2007) An informal survey, conducted by members of the Hutt Playcentre Association in 2003, found that only a few first-time parents with infants under one year of age were enrolled at a Playcentre. Those who visited a Playcentre tended to return only after their infants were older, when their parents considered them to be ready to learn. This assumption that learning does not occur in infants has been widely disproved by research (Alderson 2000; Podmore, 1992; Smith, 1996). However, the benefits of early interactions that build strong relationships between parents and infants are well known (Gerber, 2002; Podmore &Bird, 1991). The SPACE programme aims to: 1. support parents in their role as the best and most important educators of their children through: * providing them with support and encouragement from other participants in the group and from experienced facilitators as they share the journey through their infant's early months * giving parents an opportunity to listen to and develop links with a range of community organisations and service providers 2. …