Tehan announces school readiness measures for First Nations children in WA

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Western Australia will be supported to improve their health and helped to make a positive transition to school, the Federal Minister for Education Dan Tehan announced today. 

$2.8 million in funding is to be provided by the Australian Government to help ensure children in the Derby community of Western Australia are prepared for school. The Connected Beginnings program will connect health care, early childhood education and family support services to provide tailored support to families.

Mr Tehan said the Derby allocation was a portion of the $45 million in funding to be provided by the Federal Government over the next three years for Connected Beginnings projects across Australia.

One of the program’s goals, he said, was to ensure children arrive to their first day of formal schooling ready to learn. 

“Durack is the latest community in Australia to benefit from the Morrison Government’s support of improved outcomes with Connected Beginnings operating in Mt Druitt, Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Galiwin’ku, Doomadgee, Port Augusta, Mildura and Ceduna,” Mr Tehan said. 

In announcing the funding for Derby, Member for Durack Melissa Price said that supporting the health and development of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Durack was a priority.

“Happy, healthy children who are ready to start school are better able to take advantage of their opportunities to learn and grow,” Ms Price said. “The funding will help set children on the path to academic success and a lifetime of better opportunities.”