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. There is a particular focus on children experiencing vulnerability and all Aboriginal children.
Best Start Outcomes
- 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 ages and stages visits to optimise health, wellbeing, safety, learning and development.
Best Start Partnerships
Best Start is based on formal partnerships of local agencies and service providers that use local data and community knowledge to identify those who are experiencing vulnerability and plan, deliver and monitor evidence-based strategies to improve outcomes for children. Best Start Partnerships lead reform at the local level. They play a key role in bringing local services together to deliver on the Best Start outcomes for children and their families, in particular those with the greatest needs.
Child and Family Partnership
The Best Start formal partnership of local agencies and service providers in the City of Greater Dandenong is called the Child and Family Partnership. The partnership is made up of approximately 40 community partner organisations who work either directly with children or with their families. Being a member on the partnership involves the following collaboration opportunities:
- Bi-monthly partnership meetings (Six meeting per year)
- Small group focused work on emerging issues (scheduled as needed)
- Sharing of information, networking, and training opportunities across the partnership
- Contribution to local data collection, and then local and regional data and research is shared across the partnership
- Opportunity to provide feedback to local community partners
The Child and Family partnership welcomes new members at any time. If you are an organisation that helps support children and families or if you are a parent living in the City of Greater Dandenong and would like to be involved, please contact Customer Service on 8571 1000 or via email ChildrenServAdminSupport@cgd.vic.gov.au.
For more information visit the Department of Education and Training - Best Start
