Federal Minister Anne Aly to visit Bundiyarra to launch Connected Beginnings children's program in Geraldton

The Federal Government is investing more than $1.5 million to launch an early education program in Geraldton, aimed at giving Indigenous children a head start in life. It’s estimated 460 Geraldton children could benefit from the Connected Beginnings Program. Federal Minister for Early Childhood Education and Youth Anne Aly will visit Geraldton on Friday to launch the program, which prepares Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children for school as early as possible. The program will be delivered through the Bundiyarra Aboriginal Community Aboriginal Corporation, with nine new locations added across Australia, including Geraldton and South Hedland in WA, that could have the potential to help 3500 First Nations children. The expanded program is a key contributor to Closing the Gap early childhood education targets, aiming to reduce the gap in school readiness and education outcomes between non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal children. Bundiyarra will receive $1.53 million over three years through the Department of Education to run the community initiative in Greater Geraldton and as far east as Mullewa. The team will adapt teams including from Parenting-Engagement for Change and Connected Beginnings Community Engagement to establish a cultural response committee, create community action plans and engage with service providers and stakeholders to develop a program suitable for the needs of families and children. Bundiyarra will work with representatives from groups such as Aboriginal community controlled organisations, schools, child and family centres, plus non-government bodies. The Connected Beginnings program is available across 34 locations with the potential to benefit about 11,600 children in Australia aged between 0-5. Dr Aly said the Geraldton program would help provide a kick-start in life to 460 children in the local community. “This age bracket of 0-5 years is a small but critical window to get it right when it comes to setting up children for life. Research and data show engaging children in quality early childhood education and care sets them up to succeed at school, university and throughout their lives,” she said. “Connected Beginnings builds on the Albanese Government’s commitment to more affordable early childhood education and care, which will provide greater access for vulnerable and disadvantaged children and benefit 1.26 million families.” Federal Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney said education from birth all the way to school age was a powerful tool to Close the Gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. “Connected Beginnings, as a community-owned and led initiative, is making a tangible difference in closing the gap in early childhood education outcomes, and I’m pleased this expansion to more sites will see it go even further,” she said. The Geraldton-based Connected Beginnings community engagement team picked by Bundiyarra includes initiative leader Sonya Dawson, initiative data officer Tahnee Merritt, early childhood engagement officer Marrika Laudehr, Aboriginal community engagement facilitator Darlene Robinson and logistics officer Renae Dick. The Connected Beginnings program includes 34 new and existing sites, with the Commonwealth committing an extra $81.8 million to expand it to 50 sites nationally by 2025. Having 50 sites around Australia has the potential to offer support to up to 20 per cent of all First Nations children.