Best Start

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Casey

Best

The City of Casey demonstration site is now implementing phase 3 of the Best Start project.  The project has received $40,000 recurrent funding to continue with the Best Start initiatives.  This funding together with remaining funds from phase 2 has been allocated to continue the Best Start Community Facilitator position, with Casey council supporting this role both financially and in-kind.

The City of Casey’s Municipal Early Years Plan (MEYP) known as the Family & Children's Services Strategy was merged with the Best Start project in 2006.  This includes the Partnership, Action Plan and Partnership Agreement.  The decision to merge these two initiatives was made by the former Best Start Partnership as the focus and goals were concurrent with each other.  The age has also increased to children prior to commencing secondary education, as this age is highlighted in the strategy as a gap in Casey’s service delivery and program planning.  This will also assist in the key transition for children from primary school to secondary education.

Currently the Partnership has representation from:

  • Cardinia-Casey Community Health
  • Communities for Children, Cranbourne
  • Windermere Child & Family Services
  • Department of Education
  • Cardinia-Casey Library Corporation
  • The City of Casey; Children’s Services Manager, Youth & Family Services Manager, Supported Playgroup and Parent Group Liaison Officer, Team Leader Children’s Services, Team Leader Youth Services, Coordinator Maternal & Child Health
  • Windermere’s Biala
  • Local Government Councillor
  • Gordon Care for Children
  • Department of Human Services
  • Child and Adolescent Mental Health
  • Neighbourhood/Community Houses
  • Relationships Australia
  • Victoria Police
  • South East Migrant Resource Centre
  • South East Family Services – Child FIRST
  • Queen Elizabeth Centre

The Action Plan was divided into five themes: Health & Wellbeing; Learning & Development; Supporting Families; Family Friendly & Safe Environments; Family & Children’s Services Work Effectively as a System.  In order to implement the themes from the Action Plan, the Partnership and other community organisations have nominated themselves to be actively involved in five working groups which will commence at different stages throughout 2007.

LGA Profile

Population

  • The 2004 total population of Casey Local Government Area (LGA) was 210,389.
  • The Department of Sustainability and Environment projects the 2020 population of Casey LGA will reach 266,994.
  • There are 31,396 children aged 0 to 8, comprising 14.9% of Casey’s total population. This compares with 11.3% for Victoria as a whole.
  • There are approximately 950 people of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin in Casey, making up approximately 0.5% of the area’s population.

Socio-Economic

  • The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ 2001 Index of Relative Socio-Economic Disadvantage (IRSED) for Casey was 993.8. A lower score indicates a higher level of disadvantage. This compares with the State IRSED of 1016.
  • Casey was ranked 25 out of the 78 LGAs in Victoria on the IRSED. A rank of 1 was assigned to the most disadvantaged LGA.
  • Based on the 3rd Quarter of 2005, the unemployment rate in Casey was 4.1%, compared to 5.5% for Victoria as a whole.

Language/Cultural Background

  • 28.6% of Casey’s population were born overseas, compared to 23.3% of Victoria as a whole.
  • Of those born overseas, 46.9% speak only English and 43.8% speak English “well” or “very well”.
  • 8.4% of those born overseas speak English “not well” or “not at all”, this compares to 13.6% of all Victorians born overseas.

Families

  • There are approximately 24,511 families with children aged 15 and under in Casey.
  • 82.3% of the 24,511 families are couple families, compared with 80.6% of all families with children aged 15 and under in Victoria.
  • 17.7% of the 24,511 families are one-parent families, compared with 19.4% of all families with children aged 15 and under in Victoria.

Immunisation

  • Based on the 3rd Quarter of 2005, 91.7% of children in the 12 to 15 month age cohort in Casey were fully immunised. This compares to 92.0% of children in this age cohort across Victoria.
  • Based on the 3rd Quarter of 2005, 92.5% of children in the 24 to 27 month age cohort in Casey were fully immunised. This compares to 92.5% of children in this age cohort across Victoria.

Child Health

  • From July 2003 to June 2005 there were 194.8 Hospital Separations per 1000 of all children aged 0 to 8 in Casey.
  • This compares with a rate of 229.5 Hospital Separations per 1000 children aged 0 to 8 across Victoria for the same period.

Teen Pregnancy

  • There were 20.0 births per thousand females aged 15 to 19 in Casey during 2003 and 2004.
  • This compares to 19.0 births per thousand females aged 15 to 19 across Victoria for the same period.

Downloads

  • Learning and Growing in Hampton Park Calendar
  • Hampton Park Map
  • Casey Best Start A3 poster
  • Casey Best Start A4 poster
  • Casey Best Start Newsletter - October 2005 
  • Casey Best Start Newsletter - May 2005
  • Casey Best Start Newsletter - April 2005

Contact Information

Address

Family and Children's Services
City of Casey
Magid Drive
Narre Warren 3805

Phone: (03) 9705 5200