A new chapter for early literacy: the next phase of the Better Beginnings program

Celebrating 20 years of service across Western Australia, the long‑running Better Beginnings program is entering a refreshed phase, offering updated resources, simplified delivery and greater reach for young children and their families.

The Western Australian Government has announced that the Better Beginnings program delivered by the State Library of Western Australia since 2005 will receive refreshed materials and delivery structures from 2026.
The program provides free reading packs and literacy information to support parents and carers in their critical role as their child’s first and most important teacher. 

Under the refreshed model, the baby reading pack (blue “Baby Book Box”) and the toddler/preschool packs (previously separate) will be merged into a single “Preschool Book Box” for children aged two to five years, while the baby pack will be delivered via the eight‑week child health appointment.

The new reading packs will contain more books and streamlined information for families, and from 2026 the iconic “Baby Ways” board book has been updated with new illustrations and contributors. 

The program has also engaged in targeted initiatives for Aboriginal families including the “Little Fulla Yarns Reading Pack” and regional‑community literacy activities, supported by the program’s longstanding major partner, Rio Tinto.

In addition, over the past five years the Government has provided approximately $1 million in Better Beginnings grants to public libraries and community‑organisations to support grass‑roots early‑literacy programs. 

According to the Minister for Creative Industries, Heritage, Industrial Relations, Aged Care and Seniors, Women, the initiative “ensures that every family has access to books in their home”.
The Minister for Education, Early Childhood, Preventative Health and Wheatbelt highlighted that “By highlighting the importance of early literacy skills from day one, we equip children with greater potential to grow and learn and succeed in life”. 

For approved providers, centre managers and educators, the refreshed Better Beginnings materials reaffirm the essential link between early literacy and overall development. The updated delivery structure enables clearer pathways for integration with child health‑services, libraries and community outreach, broadening the reach of early‑literacy supports beyond the centre walls.

Additionally, the merging of the toddler and preschool packs signals a streamlined approach for families of children aged two to five. Services might consider aligning their own literacy‑programs (for example within NQS Quality Area 1: Educational programme and practice) with the timing and content of the revised book boxes as they roll out from 2026.

The inclusion of culturally‑relevant materials for Aboriginal families and regional communities also positions the sector to emphasise culturally responsive practice in literacy and learning supports. Services could explore partnership opportunities with local libraries or health‑services to embed the new reading packs into their family‑engagement strategies.

As Better Beginnings enters its third decade, early‑childhood stakeholders are offered a fresh opportunity to connect with families and reinforce a culture of reading from infancy onwards. With stronger partnerships, updated resources and a simplified roll‑out, the next chapter promises to enhance support for children’s learning and their home‑learning environments.