The Australian Government is setting up another 9 Connected Beginnings sites across Australia to help more than 3,500 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children get ready for school
The projects, which are underway, are in:
- Geraldton and South Hedland, Western Australia
- Mackay and Eagleby, Queensland
- Katherine and Ngukurr, Northern Territory
- Wagga Wagga, New South Wales
- Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
- Whittlesea, Victoria.
Connected Beginnings is an Australian Government grants program and Closing the Gap measure.
Connected Beginnings draws upon the strength and knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
The aim is to increase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children’s and families’ engagement with health and early childhood education and care. It improves access to existing early childhood, maternal and child health, and family support services so children are safe, healthy and ready to thrive at school by the age of five.
In 2021, the Australian Government committed to expanding Connected Beginnings to 50 sites nationally by 2025. A total of $15.7 million is being invested at the 9 new sites, bringing the total number of Connected Beginnings sites to 34.
Specific organisations are invited to apply for a grant to set up a Connected Beginning site. These sites are then community owned and led. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have a say in how activities funded by the grant are delivered to their people, in their own places and on their Country.
Read more about the Connected Beginnings program on our website.
See a list of the 34 Connected Beginnings sites.