20 years of support from Rio Tinto to raise WA family literacy levels

Rio Tinto has provided a further three years of funding support for the State Library of Western Australia-led Better Beginnings Family Literacy Program.

 

The Better Beginnings program aims to drive generational change in the literacy outcomes of Western Australian children and their families, and has benefited from the support of Rio Tinto for 20 years.

 

Better Beginnings resources and literacy packs reach families in every local government area across the State, in partnership with local public libraries, child health nurses, primary schools and other community organisations.

 

To coincide with the 20th anniversary of the partnership, new early literacy resources will be developed for Aboriginal children and children in families where English is an additional language or dialect, including a wordless book and online languages map to support families to share stories and early literacy activities in their first languages.

 

In 2024 Rio Tinto’s support will enable Better Beginnings to expand the Little Fulla Yarns Aboriginal families program to remote and regional communities after a successful pilot in the Kimberley and Pilbara regions.

 

In 2023, more than 80,000 reading packs were delivered to WA families with newborns, toddlers and kindergarten-aged children.

 

“The State Library’s Better Beginnings program is much-loved and well-recognised by families across the State,” WA’s Culture and the Arts Minister David Templeman said.

 

“The three-year deal is a fantastic result and will support the State Library to continue providing resources and engagement to our youngest Western Australians.”

 

Learn more about the program here.