2024 VEYA Finalist Series: Supporting parents and promoting children’s health

The Victorian Early Years Awards (VEYA) are an opportunity for the best and brightest Victorian early childhood professionals to be recognised for the exceptional contribution they make to early childhood education and care (ECEC). 

 

Now in their 19th year, the awards are an opportunity to showcase the inspiring work being done in the Victorian ECEC sector, with finalists exemplifying the vital work happening across the sector. 

 

The Sector is running a series in the lead up to the announcement of the award winners on 7 November 2024, sharing a little more about each of the finalists across the nine award categories, and the significance of their achievements.  

 

This week we are showcasing finalists from the Supporting Parents to Build their Capacity and Confidence & Promoting Children’s Health and Wellbeing categories. 

 

Supporting Parents to Build their Capacity and Confidence

 

This award recognises one or more early childhood services and/or organisations that are taking action to support families, parents and carers to feel confident and capable in their parenting role and recognises their role as the first and most important teachers in supporting their child’s learning and development.

 

Finalist – The Nest – Go Goldfields (in partnership with Regional Development Victoria, Central Goldfields Shire Council, Maryborough District Health Service, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute)

 

The Nest, located in Central Goldfields, provides a welcoming space for parents and carers in Maryborough and nearby areas facing socio-economic challenges.

 

Situated in a bright, friendly hub, The Nest focuses on building confident and capable parents. Services range from childbirth education and breastfeeding support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander family meet-ups. Regular drop-in sessions and events provide a relaxed setting for families to connect, fostering a strong sense of community that is essential during early parenting.

 

The Nest emphasises meeting parents where they are, allowing them to seek support at their own pace. This patient, respectful approach has led to high return visits and over 900 soft referrals to other services and local supports. By creating a safe and supportive environment, The Nest ensures that parents don’t navigate early parenting challenges alone, making a significant positive impact on the community.

 

Finalist – Early Help Hubs – Kids First Australia (in partnership with City of Whittlesea, Mitchell Shire Council, Whittlesea Community Connections, Bubup Wilam, DPV Health and FamilyCare)

 

Kids First Australia’s Early Help Hubs are a service and model of care co-designed with members of the community in Mitchell Shire and Whittlesea, to provide early support for families, increase children’s wellbeing and build parent capacity and resilience.

 

The hubs are in local government areas experiencing rapid population growth, and higher than average rates of mortgage stress and family violence. They use an evidence-based model to provide safe, stable and nurturing environments offering specialist supports and workshops focused on improving family functioning, social connections, parenting confidence and financial literacy.

 

Nearly 2 years since the inception of the hubs, evaluation by Murdoch Children’s Research Institute shows emerging evidence of their positive impact on families’ awareness of available parenting supports, willingness to engage with these supports and awareness of their own needs.

 

Finalist – Play and Learn Together – Yarra Family and Children’s Services (in partnership with Carringbush Adult Education)

 

‘Play and Learn Together’ is a collaboration between Yarra City Council’s Family and Children’s Services and Carringbush Adult Education, designed to create a culturally safe and inclusive space for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) families.

 

The program was established after Carringbush identified that CALD parents and carers often delayed attending English classes until their children started school, limiting their confidence in accessing parenting services. Initially focused on Vietnamese-speaking families, the program now includes participants from various backgrounds, offering opportunities for play, singing, and storytelling alongside adult learning.

With a stronger emphasis on English language development than typical playgroups, the initiative supports over 30 families, fostering trusted relationships and providing access to specialist support. Through this program, families learn together, enhancing both their parenting skills and their ability to engage with the broader community. Over 30 families have attended this program, building trusted relationships and specialist supports.

 

Promoting Children’s Health and Wellbeing

 

This award recognises one or more early childhood services and/or organisations that are taking action to improve health and wellbeing outcomes for young children.

 

Finalist – KIDDO Gippsland – GippSport Inc (in partnership with KIDDO program from University of Western Australia)

 

KIDDO Gippsland was adapted from KIDDO, an existing program developed by the University of Western Australia (UWA) in partnership with the Australian Sports Commission. Working closely with UWA, GippsSport Inc. adapted the delivery model to support the needs of the local communities in response to data that indicated children in Gippsland have some of the lowest scores for movement statistics and skill mastery in Victoria.

 

KIDDO Gippsland is now active in all 6 government areas and is the only program in Victoria to focus on physical literacy by emphasising psychological attitudes and feelings about movement through game-based play, social interaction, and fundamental skills and movement patterns. It Is underpinned by research that introduction to physical literacy in the early years can establish a positive relationship with physical activity for life.

 

In 2023, the program reached over 7,000 children, parents and educators through early learning, primary school and community facilities in low socio-economic areas.

 

Finalist: Tiny Dots Early Intervention, Tiny Dots (in partnership with Dot to Dot Early Intervention)

 

Tiny Dots Early Intervention (Tiny Dots), a Geelong-based charity, offers screening, multidisciplinary assessments, and short-term interventions for children aged 0-2 showing signs of disability or developmental delay, aiming to improve long-term neurological development and wellbeing.

 

Their Community Care screening Clinic staffed by experienced speech pathologists, has provided free and accessible developmental screening services to 163 children since 2022.

 

Many vulnerable and disadvantaged children in lower socio-economic suburbs of Geelong have been provided with free and heavily subsidised screening and assessments through targeted outreach.

 

In collaboration with local childcare centres, Tiny Dots launched a Community Care Outreach Program this year to provide professional development to early childhood educators to assist them to identify children at risk of developmental delay.

 

Finalist: The Nature Learning Program – Violet Town and District Early Childhood Centre 

 

The Nature Learning program at Violet Town and District Early Childhood Centre is an inclusive, nature-based education program for children aged 6 months to 6 years, allowing all 55 children that attend the service to participate in at least one day of nature learning per week.

 

The program is registered with the Australian Forest School Association and supports children’s development through risk-taking, physical activity, and scientific exploration, aligning with the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework.

 

Nurturing a learning mindset, the program encourages children to slow down, explore, hypothesise and revisit learning spaces to observe changes in the environment. It engages families through special events and integrates community involvement, enhancing learning and fostering a sense of belonging. This innovative approach, unique for its inclusivity and comprehensive age range, demonstrates positive outcomes for children and families.

 

The winners of the 2024 VEYA will be named on Thursday 7 November 2024. 

 

Learn more about the Awards, and view the finalists in all categories.