About the Department

Office for Children and Early Childhood Development

This Office coordinates the Department's policy and programs in relation to early childhood, school-community and parent-school partnerships that involves developing close relationships with central agencies and have a particular emphasis on the social and economic aspects of education.

The Office consists of four divisions:

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Early Childhood Strategic Projects and Policy Division

The key functions of the Early Childhood Strategic Projects and Policy Division are development of policy and program to:

  • lead and develop cross system projects and key change projects across the Department to facilitate policy development;
  • conduct major research and develop the Department’s longer term strategic policy and new policy in early childhood and development; and
  • ensure the Department’s policy development covers all facets of early learning and development.

The above functions have a particular emphasis on early learning and development, and improvement in quality and accessibility of the provision of early childhood services. This involves the provision of stronger integration between schools and early childhood services.

They also involve close liaison with local government and central agencies, and have particular emphasis on the social and economic aspects of the development of human capital, the relationships and relative roles and responsibilities of the Commonwealth and State governments in early years services.

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Child Health Adviser

This role will focus on providing specialist medical advice to guide strategic policy innovation and improve outcomes for children across Victoria.

The Senior Medical Adviser’s major responsibility will be to provide leadership and innovation in children’s health advice to the Office for Children and Early Childhood Development, Department of Human Services and Government on key child health matters impacting on the achievement of better outcomes for Victoria’s Children.

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Early Childhood Programs Division

This division supports the health, development and learning of Victoria’s young children including kindergarten, capital grants for new kindergartens and children’s centres, maternal and child health, primary school nursing, parenting services, early childhood intervention services, inclusion supports, support for Best Start local partnerships and planning and the regulation of children’s services.

The division provides the policy leadership and program management to ensure the effective delivery of the above services, including extensive liaison with community stakeholders and local governments. It also has financial accountability for the management of the budget for these programs.

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Operations Division

This division provides the systems, accountability and reporting structures required to support the licensing and regulatory functions of under the Children’s Services Act and includes a number of critical functions which support regional operations management. The key functions of the Operations Division include:

  • staff leadership supervision, support and strategic directions;
  • budget and human relations management oversight;
  • authorisation of critical decisions including briefings;
  • engagement in critical client issues; and
  • communication with external stakeholders, particularly local government.

The division is also responsible for the management of the telephone advice lines – the MCH Help line and the Parent Line. In addition, the Division provides the policy and program leadership for the Secondary School Nursing Program and the School Focussed Youth Service.

The Secondary School Nursing Program (SSNP) aims to improve the health and well being of young people aged 12-18 years and reduce negative outcomes and risk taking behaviour. There are currently 100 nurses employed in 199 targeted schools throughout both rural, and metropolitan Victoria.

The School Focused Youth Service (SFYS) coordinates of preventative and early intervention strategies for 'at-risk' young people aged 10-18 years (with a particular emphasis on those aged 10-14 years) delivered by, and through, schools and local community agencies.

 

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