Best Start Vision

1
Best Start Vision Mission Vision To improve
life chances of all children aged 0-8 years in
the City of Greater Shepparton by strengthening
the access and usage of universal services for
children and their parents/carers. Mission Over
the next 3 years develop and reshape early
childhood services to ensure that they are
responsive to the needs of all families through
strategies identified in the Best Start Action
Plan. A priority is the creation of workplace
culture that recognises the responsibility to
engage positively with families and children of
diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds,
acknowledging that strong engagement is critical
to achieving positive outcomes for the individual
child.
2

• Multicultural Population
• Indigenous Population
• Acute shortage of health and community
  service professionals

3

• Relatively low socio economic status
• 19th in Jesuit study
• Pockets of concentrated disadvantage
• 8.3 of Office of Housing tenants employed
• 52 of Office of Housing tenants stay less
  than 1 year
• 46 of Office of Housing households are
  single parents

4

• 50 of eligible families engaged in Maternal
  and Child Health Service
• Low preschool enrolments evident in pockets
  of disadvantage
• High rates of school absenteeism and
  preschool non attendance (25 transience
  rate annually)
• High rates of child protection notifications

5

• FIVE PRIORITY AREAS
• 1 Working Together - facilitation of
  integrated local service system development
• 2 Early Childhood Health - enhancement of health
  promotion and support in
  infancy and early childhood
• 3 Getting Connected - opportunities for social
  connectedness and mutual support
  - proactive linking to early childhood
  and community supports
• 4 Community Literacy - promotion of child and
  family
• Parenting Education - programs recognise the
  need of some families for ongoing
  support and coaching - extending
  and reshaping parenting skills development and
  resourcing

6
WORK IN PROGRESS

• Welcome to our Neighbourhood Links
• Walking School Bus Program
• Circle of Support
• Outreach Services
• Community Directory
• Parkside Estate Meeting Place
• Facilitated Playgroups with Literacy Modelling
• Local Service Clubs
• Participation
• Partnership with Library
• Cultural Appropriateness

7
PRESCHOOL TO SCHOOL TRANSITION

• local community information sessions
• information booklet
• common open week
• POST NATAL DEPRESSION INITIATIVE
• steering group
• forum
• service mapping report

8
ABORIGINAL PARENTING INITIATIVE

• steering group
• specific parenting programs
• specific Day Stay program
• COMMUNITY DIRECTORY
• comprehensive resource

9
PARENT ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES

• professional skills development
• links to other initiatives
• MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH MODEL
• establishing and maintaining relationships
• assertive outreach approach
• antenatal education in rural communities
• trial alternative sessions
• group work

10
CULTURAL, LINGUISTIC AND DIVERSE CHILDRENS
SERVICES GROUP

• universal childhood services
• professional development
• CONCLUSION
• Recognition as the platform
• Active participation of parents and services