The Community Services Directorate is to release a new strategy looking to improve the first 1,000 days of Canberra’s children’s lives.
Welcoming the Best Start for Canberra’s Children: The First 1000 Days Strategy, Minister for Health, Rachel, Stephen-Smith said the Strategy supported a more coordinated effort across Government and the community to increase awareness of the importance of the first 1,000 days.
“This will enable parents to feel more confident, supported and connected and for services to be accessible for when children and families need them,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.
“Best Start sits alongside the Maternity in Focus strategy and will be delivered in three phases,” she said.
“The first Action Plan will provide practical steps to deliver the Strategy.”
Ms Stephen-Smith said this included improving access to playgroups and playschools for vulnerable families and building better connections between Maternity and Child Health and other early support services.
She said more than $7 million in funding would be allocated over the next four years to expand the Child Development Service.
“With this new funding, the service will hire an additional 14 allied health professionals to provide critical early intervention therapy services for families with children aged 24 to 36 months,” the Minister said.
“Expanding the Child Development Service and providing therapeutic early intervention support will set children up for long-term health and wellbeing.”
She said the Child Development Service would continue to provide assessment, referral and information services to families and children from birth to age six, in addition to the new early intervention services.
“Best Start and the expanded Child Development Service will support the wellbeing and development of children in their first 1,000 days, then up to 36 months for early intervention, before eligible families have the option of transitioning to quality early childhood education from age three,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.
She said the expanded service was due to start in 2023.
The Directorate’s 31-page Strategy can be accessed at this PS News link.
