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Address
PO Box 453
Dickson ACT 2602
Phone: 6257 2255 
Page last updated
June 2007
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Communities for Children
Together for our Children,
is a FaCS funded Communities for Children initiative which provides an
exciting opportunity for the Inner North community to build on its existing
strengths and mobilize community capacity to deliver positive early
intervention outcomes for children 0-5 years.
The Together for our
Children initiative builds on existing services and facilities to improve
outcomes for children by promoting community ownership of the National
Early Childhood Agenda, improving community capacity to respond to early
childhood issues, improving integration of service delivery and developing
sustainable activities specifically designed to promote children's early
learning, development and well being.
Snapshot of the Inner North
The Inner North site
consists of mostly older suburbs (Ainslie, Braddon, Dickson, Downer,
Lyneham, O'Connor, Turner, Reid and Watson). The site has a diverse range
of housing, green belts, parks, small playgrounds and open spaces. One
quarter of ACT public housing is located in the Inner North, 55% of
households are families with dependant children of which 125 are indigenous
children. SEIFA indices identify neighbourhoods of significant poverty
within affluent suburbs. 77% of households speak only English at
home. Falls and accidental poisonings made up most hospitalisations for
children (45%). 10% of children are not immunised. Only 50.5% of
children aged 3-6 attend pre-school. There are 8 pre-schools and 2
playschools servicing the inner north.
Strategic Approach
The Together for our
Children Initiative has identified six key strategies and nine activities
that build on Stronger Families and Communities Strategy priority
areas. The Facilitating Partner will engage with community partners
to deliver the following activities:
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STRATEGY
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ACTIVITY
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Our
Children are Healthy
and
Safe
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Active, Safe
and Healthy - involves reassessing the
community's provision for children's activity, play and learning.
It will promote physical activity to increase confidence and connections
for young children, reduce obesity and improve the culture of safety in
the community and the home.
Community
Activity Support - this activity will target grassroots initiatives via
community based groups
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Being
and Belonging
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Celebrating
Children
- identifying existing and creating
new events in the inner north which will facilitate opportunities to
promote and respond to early childhood issues and a more inclusive
involvement of families and cultural diversity.
Safe Places
for our Children - aims to work with ACT
Housing tenants to create a safer living environment for families and
children by improvement in areas of safety, development, health and
wellbeing.
Community
Activity Support - this activity will target grassroots initiatives via
community based groups
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Families
Across Cultures
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The Mon
Community in Cultural Transition - will
encourage families from Mon backgrounds to incorporate early
developmental learning in a culturally sensitive way.
Community
Activity Support - this activity will target grassroots initiatives via
community based groups
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Learn
and Develop
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Play, Learn
and Teach
- is an initiative to promote,
introduce and improve early learning strategies used by indigenous and
disadvantaged families, playgroups and the wider community.
Pathways to
Preschool
- aims to increase the attendance of
children from low income families and culturally diverse backgrounds at
preschool.
Community
Activity Support - this activity will target grassroots initiatives via
community based groups
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Connecting
the Inner North
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Integrated
Services
- a series of initiatives to improve
communication, information and set an agenda for interagency cooperation
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Building
Community Capacity
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Small Sparks - build mentoring
partnerships including the replication of existing effective models to
ensure the viability of organisations and associations that work with
young children and their families.
Community
Activity Support - this activity will target grassroots initiatives via
community based groups
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Consultation and Engagement
Mapping of services and community consultation was
undertaken as part of the development of strategies and
activities.
The Together for our Children Initiative conducted surveys and telephone
interviews with 60 institutions, associations, groups, businesses, local
government representatives, community members and parents of children 0-5
years. In addition 15 key interest groups and 5 families were targeted for
extensive face-to-face interviews.
The following key results were highlighted:
- Lack of service integration
- 50% of children do not attend pre-school
- playgroups not using or unaware of early
learning strategies / techniques
- culturally diverse / indigenous and
disadvantaged families not accessing early learning opportunities and
/ or parenting skills
- much opportunity for festivals and events to
including healthy, active and safe activities for children
- excellent opportunities to build community
capacity in a variety of organisations to enhance and or improve the
delivery of the early childhood agenda
Together for our Children Committee
The committee has a broad representation of key
stakeholders including government (4), non-governmental organisations (4),
parents (3), community representatives (2), facilitating partner (1)
The Together for our Children Committee developed the
community strategic plan considering :
Data from the community consultation and
community mapping process;
Analysis of relevant research and literature;
Australian and ACT Government policies.
Expected Outcomes
The expected outcomes of The Together for our Children
site are:
- to increase the use of Childhood Early
Intervention Strategies in playgroups, families, events and the wider
community
- to increase community capacity to develop
and support child friendly communities
- to increase sustainable networks and
partnerships and to improve co-ordination of services for young
families
- To grow the participation in Early Childhood
educational programmes.
Sustainability
Together for our Children is a whole community approach
to sustain improved outcomes for children 0-5 years.
To ensure sustainability, the facilitating partner will,
- build and facilitate meaningful
relationships with and between community partners,
- provide administrative resources to support
programs,
- utilise an Expression of Interest process
that engages and supports applications for funding,
- develop a framework for reporting that
encourages best practice, project/contract management and financial
planning,
- provide continuing consultation and research
within the community to identify trends and new opportunities
- promote the importance of early childhood
development through presence in the community e.g. networking, media,
addressing community and service groups
- Co-ordinate regular meetings/forums for
stakeholders to provide feedback and suggest improvements over the
life of the initiative.
- Fund innovative programs that attract future
and/or alternative sources of funding through partnerships with
business, government and community agencies.
and through community partnership:
- target business to provide sponsorship
and/or share expertise via mentoring,
- improve health, skills and knowledge of
childhood 0-5 through training, facilitation, co-ordination and active
participation
- increase awareness through better
coordination and sharing of available services and resources
- engage volunteer support
Evaluation
Together for our Children will undertake an evaluation
strategy in partnership with the committee, local evaluator (Australian Catholic University)
and community partners to evaluate the impact of the initiative.
Local qualitative and quantitative measures, developed for the activities,
will support and build on the National Evaluation Framework
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Stronger Families and Communities
Strategy Priority Areas
- Healthy Young Families
- Supporting Families and Parents
- Early Learning and Care
- Child Friendly Communities
- Family and Children's services working
together effectively as a system
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Together for our Children Vision
Building on our community's strengths we work together
to create a healthy, safe and fun community for all children in the Inner
North
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National Early
Childhood Agenda
- Early Child and Maternal Health
- Early Learning and Care
- Child friendly communities
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Strategic Directions for the
Inner North
- Active, Safe and Healthy
- Being and Belonging
- Families across cultures.
- Learn and Develop
- Services are integrated.
- Building Community Capacity.
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Key Activity in the Inner North
- Active, Safe, Healthy
- Mon Community in Transition
- Pathways to Preschool
- Play, Learn and Teach
- Places for our Children
- Celebrating Children
- Small Sparks
- Integrated Services
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Evaluation
- Measuring improved childhood outcomes
- Monitoring early intervention activities
- Build on the National Evaluation Framework
- Develop local evaluation strategies
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Enabling Conditions - How
- Community ownership and partnership
- Strategies and activities that respond to
community consultation
- Built in sustainability beyond the life of
funding
- Utilizing Community Development principles
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Evidence
- Community Consultation and Service Mapping
- Current Early Intervention and Early
Development research and literature focusing on children 0-5 years
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