Swan Hill Council gets behind Thrive by Five initiative

The Swan Hill Rural City Council is encouraging the community to get behind the Thrive by Five campaign, a national online campaign lobbying for significant early childhood education and care (ECEC) reform for effective policy and investment in early childhood outcomes across Australia.

Council’s Director Community and Cultural Services Bruce Myers highlighted the importance of greater investment in early year’s education, saying that the education, health and social policy must reflect the importance of recognising the value of the first five years of a child’s life.

Mr Myers said the Thrive by Five campaign captured the attention and support of parents, workers, and educators since being launched in September and Council was getting behind the campaign by encouraging local residents to jump online and get behind the campaign, saying it could be “the most significant educational, social and economic reform of our era”.

“Improving child development requires a better collaboration across education, maternal and child health, and family and social services,” he said, adding that facilitating universal access to early learning would benefit children, women, families, and the economy.

He encouraged local residents, and others who are in support of the campaign, to sign an online open letter to the Federal Government or join the community campaign online.

To sign the open letter click here, and to join the community click here.

For more information about the Thrive by Five campaign please see here