Best Start Statewide Forum

18/06/2024

Unlocking Potential Through Early Education

Participation in high-quality kindergarten benefits children’s health and development. These benefits are particularly crucial for children from disadvantaged and vulnerable backgrounds. Every year, three times as many children from Australia’s lowest socioeconomic bracket enter school developmentally vulnerable than children from the highest socioeconomic bracket. Alarmingly, the gap between the poorest and wealthiest communities in Australia has been widening.

Best Start is an initiative by the Department of Education designed to ensure every child gets the best start in life. 

Best Start aims to address the unique challenges faced by communities by supporting the collaboration between agencies, services and families. The initiative prioritises supporting children and families experiencing vulnerability and works to increase the participation of all First Nations children in universal early childhood services. Currently, there are 29 Best Start sites across Victoria, managed by First Peoples' corporations, local government agencies (LGAs), and community health services.

Collaborative Efforts for Better Outcomes

Through training and coaching, the Centre for Community Child Health (CCCH) supports Best Start facilitators and Early Childhood Performance and Planning Advisors (ECPAPAs) to improve the collaboration between local services and achieve Best Start outcomes.

March 2024 Forum: A Milestone Event

In March 2024, CCCH hosted its first in-person forum in Naarm. This landmark event saw an impressive number of participants from the Best Start Network gather for a two-day forum, hosted by the Victorian Aboriginal Community Services Association Ltd (VACSAL) on the first day and CCCH on the second. The forum brought together Best Start facilitators, fundholders, and ECPAPAs from the Department of Education, all dedicated to leading reform at the local level.

The event was a testament to the power of collaboration and shared learning. Attendees engaged in discussions and workshops aimed at identifying and overcoming barriers to kindergarten participation. They shared successful strategies and innovative solutions, fostering a spirit of collective problem-solving and mutual support. Hear some of the perspectives from attendees in the video below:

Looking ahead

The success of the March forum underscores the importance of such gatherings in driving meaningful change. By continuing to bring together diverse stakeholders, the Best Start initiative can build stronger, more resilient early childhood services that cater to the needs of all children, especially those from marginalised communities.

Through continued support, collaboration, and innovation, we can ensure that every child in Victoria has the opportunity to thrive and succeed, starting with a solid foundation in kindergarten.