Best Start
Best Start is a prevention and early intervention program that aims to improve the health, development, learning and wellbeing of all Victorian children from birth through to transition to school.
Purpose and focus
Best Start is a Victorian Government early year’s, place-based initiative that is funded by the Department and Education. Best start supports families, caregivers, and communities in providing the best possible environment, experiences, and care for children from birth to school entry.
Best Start places strong emphasis on prevention and early intervention and has particular focus on all Aboriginal children and children experiencing vulnerability.
Benefits of Best Start
- Improve practices within services to support families and children
- Creating of stronger networks and partnerships with other like services
- Extend your thinking on how to best meet the needs of your community
- Your change ideas link directly to your service QIP and the exceeding themes
Best Start Outcomes
The Best Start outcomes listed below are medium-term outcomes and have been devised to focus and organise partnership efforts so they align with Best Start Key directions.
- Children engage and participate in early childhood education (kindergarten and supported playgroups) and enter school as confident and involved learners
- Children and families actively engage with MCH services, attending key age and stages visits to optimise health, wellbeing, safety, learning and development.
Download the Best Start flyer(PDF, 267KB).
Hume Best Start Partnerships
Hume Early Years Partnership
Diverse and committed service leaders that represent the local community
Come together, bring data and information that represents the local community. Engage in high level discussion that addresses services delivery needs and can inform and provide direction to support Best Start
Best Start Improvement Team
Service level professionals
Use the continuous improvement model to undertake practice change within a service through implementing and testing small change ideas. Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA)
Family & Children’s Service network
Service level professionals from Early Years programs
Come together to find out about a range of local programs that can support them in their work. It is an opportunity to share information about their own programs and make connections with other like service providers.
To find out more about Best Start or the Partnership groups contact elishad@hume.vic.gov.au