Communities for Children

The Communities for Children initiative is supported by the Australian Government under the Stronger Families and Communities Strategy. The Communities for Children initiative helps children aged 0-5 to have the best possible start in life by providing practical assistance to their families and communities. The initiative provides funding of $142 million over four years and is based on the principles of early intervention and prevention. Since April 2004, non government organisations have been selected to implement Communities for Children in 45 sites across Australia.

Mission Statement

"Optimising the health, development, learning and well-being of children living or participating in the Broadmeadows Community."

The project draws on the expertise of the Hume Early Years Partnership, comprising 28 agencies and schools working together to promote the wellbeing of local children and their families across the health, education, early childhood, family support and community sectors.

The targeted neighbourhoods for action are:

Broadmeadows, Dallas, Jacana (3047)
Campbellfield (3061)
Coolaroo, Meadow Heights (3048)
Westmeadows (3049)

Best Start

The aims and objectives of Best Start are guided by the Victorian Government. The aim of Best Start is to improve the health, development, learning and well-being of all Victorian children from pregnancy through transition to school (taken as being 0-8 years). With the objectives of:

Providing better access to child and family support, health services and early education.
Improving the capacity and confidence of parents to be, parents and families to care for children and enjoy parenting; and
Assisting communities to become more child and family friendly.

Best Start Community Facilitator - Hume/Broadmeadows
Contact: Judith Gray - Broadmeadows UnitingCare
E-mail: bcarebs@vicnet.net.au
Phone: (03) 9351 3673

Development of the Hume Early Years Partnership

The Broadmeadows Best Start Partnership Group has evolved since 2003 to become the Hume Early Years Partnership in 2008 with coverage expanded to the whole of Hume City. The Partnership works with a signed Partnership agreement, joining together to strengthen and coordinate existing activities and programs for children and families. Parents are regularly consulted within the many community development projects that are underway, and presentations by local parents are included in the Partnership agenda on a regular basis.

To view the members of the Hume Early Years Partnership click here

For a list of all resources produced by Broadmeadows Communities for Children and Best Start programs please click here

You can view related resources and publications in our links section

2008 Hume Early Years Conference

"How do you grow a community for children?"

The Hume Early Years Conference was presented by the Hume Early Years Partnership on 25th and 26th June 2008 at the Hume Global Learning Centre at Broadmeadows. The theme of this conference was "How do you grow a community for children?" The conference was relevant to professionals, community, project workers and parents across Victoria interested in the early years, community and neighbourhood approaches and learnings from the Communities for Children (2005-2009) and Best Start Program (2003-08) in the City of Hume. It was funded by Communities for Children Broadmeadows and the conference organiser was the Migrant Resource Centre North-West.

The workshops covered the following themes:

Children and Families in the City of Hume
Child Friendly communities
Enhancing Parent-Child relationships - 0-3 Focus
Parents as Partners
Community Hubs/ Service Development and collaboration
Language and Literacy

The papers and presentations from the conference are available by clicking on the links below:

Some of the presentations are compressed using 7 Zip. You will need to download this free program from http://www.7-zip.org to view the presentations.

Keynote Speakers:

Day 1:

Pathways to Prevention: A Case Study in a Disadvantaged Community - Professor Ross Homel, Griffith University.
Children and families in Broadmeadows:Are they connected? - Dr. Deborah Warr, The University of Melbourne.

Day 2:

Children's temperament: How does it affect their relationships and their readiness for learning - Professor Ann Sanson - Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY).
Bursting the bubble wrap: Supporting research into child friendly communities - Professor Karen Malone, Director - UNESCO Asia-Pacific Growing Up in Cities project and Chair - Asia-Pacific Child-Friendly Cities Network.

Presentations:

Day 1:

Moving beyond community engagement to active participation - Catharine Hydon and Salwa Salem, Brotherhood of St. Laurence.
Meadowbank P.S. Early Learning Centre: Creating Great Hubs: Community inclusion and engagement in practice - Maureen Leahy, Meadowbank Early Learning Centre.
Seeing the individual - Sue Crook, Meadowbank Early Learning Centre.
Strengths-based practice and a vision for families in Hume - Bernadette Glass, consultant.
Foundations for families: 0-3 Framework: Logan, Kingston, Loganlea, Waterford West Queensland Communities for Children - Geraldine Harris, Salvation Army.
Parent/Child Mother Goose Program: A fun inclusive group for parents and children - Jacinta Harper, Melbourne City Mission.
Music and Play program: Making a difference for families at risk of homelessness - Janine Sheridan, Merri Outreach Support Service.
Building community connectedness in Broadmeadows: Results of the service users study surveys - Cemile Yuksel, Broadmeadows UnitingCare.
AEDI results, speech and language concerns and school readiness - Mark Sullivan, Dianella Community Health.
R.E. Ross Trust: Building on What is Working Well: The Broadmeadows School Readiness Project - Dr Myfanwy McDonald, Centre for Community Child Health, Royal Children's Hospital.

Day 2:

Babies in Hume: A new early parenting program focused on parent-baby communication supported by the Maternal Child Health Service - Helen Broderick, Hume City Council, Maternal and Child Health Service.
Playgroups in Hume: Engaging a diverse community, offering socialization for parents and young children - Carmel Barberio and Jeanette Hourani, Banksia Gardens Community Centre and VicSEG .
Working in Partnership for Boori's in Broadmeadows: Developing connections for Indigenous children and families - Melissa Bembo, VACCA and Colleen Turner, Communities for Children, Broadmeadows UnitingCare.
The challenges of diversity and inclusion in early years services - Barbara Shears, Broad Insight Group.
Bilingual Storytelling: How it is impacting children and parents - Anna Boland, Hume City Council.
Child Friendly Community Audit - Prof. Karen Malone.
Children as citizens - Athena Williams, St Lukes and Maureen Tessier, City of Greater Bendigo.

Resources

List of resources produced by Hume Early Years Partnership, the Broadmeadows Communities for Children and Best Start programs.

Baby Diary for Boori's of Hume - 2007. The diary was developed as a community development activity overseen by the Best Start Aboriginal Partnership Group and Wandara Social group in partnership with NMIT.
CALD Fathering Report - Communities for Children project undertaken by the Migrant Resource Centre North West Region, conducting focus groups with Iraq born men with children under 6 years - July 2006.
Communities for Children in Broadmeadows - Local Evaluation Interim Report 2007 - Full Report - August 2007.
Communities for Children in Broadmeadows - Local Evaluation Interim Report 2007 - Executive Summary - August 2007.
Communities for Children in Broadmeadows Newsletter - No. 1 August 2006.
Communities for Children in Broadmeadows Newsletter - No. 2 February 2008.
Giving your child the best start in life - suggestions for parents and carers of babies and young children in Hume City - English - April 2006. Parent pamphlet developed to promote a common message about the early years from all Partnership agencies, funded by Best Start.
Giving your child the best start in life - suggestions for parents and carers of babies and young children in Hume City - Samoan - April 2006. Parent pamphlet developed to promote a common message about the early years from all Partnership agencies, funded by Best Start.
Giving your child the best start in life - suggestions for parents and carers of babies and young children in Hume City - Turkish - April 2006. Parent pamphlet developed to promote a common message about the early years from all Partnership agencies, funded by Best Start.
Giving your child the best start in life - suggestions for parents and carers of babies and young children in Hume City - Vietnamese - April 2006. Parent pamphlet developed to promote a common message about the early years from all Partnership agencies, funded by Best Start.
Hume Calendar Kits and Parent Information Kits for Hume Centres - 2007. This is calendar information for staff in childcare centres, in English, Turkish and Arabic that can be used on newsletters, display boards, yearly calendars and posters.
Language & Literacy kits - prepared in English, Arabic & Turkish & Vietnamese 2005. Kits developed with funding from Crazy Johns as a resource for facilitated playgroups.
My Favourite Songbook - Arabic and English - 2007. Publication funded by the Telstra Foundation, Hume City Council.
My Favourite Songbook - Samoan and English - 2008. Publication funded by the Hume City Council and Broadmeadows Communities for Children.
My Favourite Songbook - Turkish and English - 2007. Publication funded by the Telstra Foundation, Hume City Council.
Outside the School Gates - A model for tackling disadvantage and promoting participation in preschool education at the Meadowbank Early Learning Centre - 2007. Publication funded by Broadmeadows Communities for Children and University of Melbourne.
Setting the hubs humming - Working together for children and their families - Brotherhood of St Laurence early childhood programs - 2007. Publication funded by Broadmeadows Communities for Children and the Brotherhood of St. Laurence.
The Australian Community Psychologist - Volume 20 No. 1. Special Issue on place-based research and intervention with two segments: one showcases "Communities for Children" in Broadmeadows, Victoria as a case study of place-based intervention and research and the second segment includes papers from Australian and international practitioners and researchers with a community or place-based approach.
Together We can make a Difference project material - to support inclusion of children with additional needs funded by Broadmeadows Communities for Children and Broad Insight.
2007 Calendar - Arabic - 2007.
2007 Calendar - English - 2007.
2007 Calendar - Turkish - 2007.
2007 Hume Staff Calendar - 2007. For staff in childcare centres. An initiative of Communities for Children in Broadmeadows and Melbourne Citymission.
Your Child And You - A directory of services, programs, groups and activities for children aged 0 to 8 years and their parents/carers living in Hume City - April 2006. A publication funded by Best Start as a resource for parents listing programs and resources for children ( 0-8 years) and parents, including those with additional needs.

If you would like copies of any of these resources please contact:

Colleen Turner on 03 9351 3640,
E-mail: bcarecfc@vicnet.net.au or
Cemile Yuksel on 03 9351 3645 or
E-mail: bcarefac@vicnet.net.au

Hume Early Years Partnership

Community Partners	Education
Peter Enright	Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, Senior Education Officer, Northern Regional office
Anne Morton	Principal, Meadow Fair Nth PS, Rep: Broadmeadows Schools Network
Peter Hodson	Principal, Upfield Primary School
Megan Lewis	Principal, Coolaroo South Primary School
Valarie Karaitiana	Principal, Dallas Primary School and Kindergarten
Robert Greenacre	Principal, Meadowbank Primary School
Maureen Leahy	Meadowbank Primary School Early Learning Centre
Carol Taylor	Principal, Jacana Primary School
David Brooks	Project Manager, Broadmeadows Schools Regeneration
Community Partners	Health
Mark Sullivan	CEO, Dianella Community Health Services
Suzy Pinchen	Manager, Dianella Community Health Services
LeAnn Williams	Manager, Tweddle Child and Family Health Services
Roslyn Stevens	Sunbury Community Health Centre
Community Partners	Housing
Rosalind Vincent	Manager, Neighbourhood Renewal, Office of Housing
Naomi McNamara	Operations Manager, Merri Outreach Support Services
Community Partners	Hume City Council
Lisa Letic	Manager, Child & Family Services, Hume City Council
Mike Webb	Director of City Communities, Hume City Council
George Osbourne	Manager, Global Learning Village, Hume City Council
Helen Broderick	Coordinator, Maternal Child Health, Hume City Council
Rose Barletta	Coordinator, Preschool Services, Hume City Council
Anna Boland	Literacy Engagement Officer, Hume Global Learning Centre
Community Partners	Child and Family Services
Phil Conrick	CEO, Broadmeadows Uniting Care
Julie Roach	Acting CEO, Orana Family Services
Lee-Anne Biggs	Broadmeadows Family Care - Anglicare
Kaz McMahon	Executive Manager, Family & Community Services
Barbara Shears	Executive Officer, Broad Insight Group
Catharine Hydon	Brotherhood of St. Laurence
Judith Smale	Manager, Child, Family and Community Services, Melbourne City Mission
Community Partners	Other Community agencies
Gina Dougall / Carmel Barberio	Hume Neighbourhood House Network
Elizabeth McGarry	CEO, Migrant Resource Centre-North West
Grozdana Luckic	Manager, Migrant Resource Centre-North West
Lina Mekaoui	VASS (Victorian Arabic Social Services)
Emma Phillips / Natasha Cooper	The Smith Family
John Zika/Jeanette Hourani	Victorian Cooperative on Children's Services for Ethnic Groups (VICSEG)
Rebecca O'Dowd	VACCA (Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency)
Joe Narbaleek	Enmaraleek Inc.
Community Partners	Parents
Fusun Gumus	Parent Advisory Group
Amanda McMahon	Parent Advisory Group
Melissa Bembo	Aboriginal Partnership group
Community Partners	Evaluation
Rachel Robinson	Manager, Centre for Community Child Health
Leonie Symes	Senior Project Officer, Murdoch Children's Research Institute
Government Partners
Anne Brown	Department of Families, Housing, Community Services & Indigenous Affairs
Stephen Woodland	North West Region, Department of Education & Early Childhood Development
Project workers located at Broadmeadows UnitingCare & Dianella Community Health Centre
Judith Gray	Community Facilitator
Cemile Yuksel	Community Facilitator / Research Officer
Colleen Tuner	Project Manager
Fiona Alexander	Contract Manager
Renaldo Tomasiello	Director of Finance & Operations, Dianella Community Health Services