Connected Beginnings program expands on the NSW Central Coast

The Connected Beginnings program, which connects First Nations children aged from birth to five years of age with a range of early childhood health, education, and family support services, is expanding to include the New South Wales Central Coast community. 

 

The Government partners with SNAICC National Voice for our Children and the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation to deliver the Connected Beginnings program, a community-led project achieving results for about 19,600 First Nations children across Australia.

 

Federal Minister for  Early Childhood Education Dr Anne Aly made the announcement this morning, outlining  $3.8 million in funding for Barang Regional Alliance to deliver Connected Beginnings sites in the communities of Wyong and Gosford.

 

“The program is delivering significant positive results for First Nations children; we’re already seeing an increase in the hours of early childhood education and care along with an increase in preschool enrolment and improvements to developmental outcomes,” Dr Aly said.

 

Connected Beginnings helps children meet the learning and development milestones necessary to achieve a positive transition to school, and in communities where the program is already established evaluations show an increase in the number of hours of centre-based childcare and preschool enrolments being accessed by First Nations children, and in the number of children on track in all five Australian Early Development Census domains.

 

The new Central Coast sites will support around 2,400 First Nations children in the local area, and is expected to make a significant contribution to the early childhood targets set in Closing the Gap. 

 

Both Wyong and Gosford are part of an $81.8 million investment to expand the program to 50 sites across the Country. Once all 50 sites are established the program has the potential to support up to 20 per cent of all First Nations children aged birth to five years of age.

 

Existing Connected Beginnings sites in NSW include Doonside, Mount Druitt, Taree, Bourke, Wagga Wagga and Broken Hill.

 

Learn more about the Connected Beginnings program here.