Best Start

Back to:

Best Start Project Sites

Existing sites - Frankston

The aim of the Frankston Early Years Partnership is to work collaboratively to improve the outcomes in all areas of health, wellbeing, early learning and development, support for children and families particularly those most vulnerable.

Underpinning Principles of the partnership:

Strategic direction that provides for a coordinated systemic approach;

  • Working in partnership with the community;
  • Services inclusive of diversity;
  • Integrated co-ordination and planning of services;
  • Accessible high quality universal and secondary early childhood services;
  • Resources distributed in response to local needs;
  • Optimum use of current and new resources;
  • Acknowledge and value the assets and strengths of children, families and community; and
  • Strength based, child and family centred approach to service provision.

Objectives of the Partnership

  • Build capacity of children, families and communities;
  • Provide opportunities to enhance the health, well being, early learning and development of all children;
  • Support all families to care for their children and provide environments that are positive, stimulating, fun, safe and secure;
  • Encourage and foster child friendly communities that will understand the importance of the early years and support the early learning and development of children at local level;
  • Identify and reduce barriers in order to maximise opportunities for community connectedness;
  • Act as advocates for children and families within our community; and
  • Identify and develop innovative responses.

Membership of Partnership

  • The partnership comprises members representing a cross-section of the community and representatives from local agencies in the statutory and not-for-profit sectors. Representatives are invited to sit on the Partnership as a result of their recognised commitment, knowledge, effort and responsiveness, as well as their ability to represent their community/sector.
  • The Partnership was originally a Best Start Partnership but with introduction of Communities for Children it is now known as the Early Years Partnership.

Priorities for the site

  • Evaluating the current MEYP
  • To develop a coordinated and responsive early childhood service system;
  • Supporting parents and the community.

Local Activities

To continue to ensure the seamless transition between the early childhood service sector and primary school by:

  • developing new school transition networks in Seaford and Karingal
  • Support existing school transition networks in Langwarrin and Carrum downs
  • Provide professional development opportunities for early childhood staff.

To increase coordination and access to early childhood intervention services for children with additional needs and their families by:

  • Establishing links with the Department of Human Services;
  • Develop a supportive transition protocol for children with additional needs
  • Develop greater understanding amongst early childhood staff of inclusion practices when working with children who have additional needs.

Highlights/ spotlight activity

  • 1st September: a very successful forum was held for early childhood staff, prep teachers and allied health professionals discussing the topic of school transition. The day was titled -
    "There's No Such Thing as a Typical Prep".
    The day was facilitated by John McCartin and Lynne Gunning.
  • 3rd October: An evening with Kathy Walker titled The Value of Play in the Early Years. Again this was provided for teachers, child care workers, parents, allied health professionals and family day carers.
  • The development of a locality map by the Seaford Locality Group;
  • The development of a leadership and mentoring program for the early childhood workers of Frankston. This will begin early 2007 initially with kindergarten teachers. It will be expanded to incorporate child care workers in the second intake later in 2007.
  • Family and Children's Expo to be held on 25th October at the Frankston Arts Centre.
  • Quarterly newsletter which is distributed to all children's services in Frankston (copy attached).

LGA Profile

Population

  • The 2004 total population of Frankston Local Government Area (LGA) was 118,951.
  • The Department of Sustainability and Environment projects the 2020 population of Frankston LGA will reach 127,623.
  • There are 14,076 children aged 0 to 8, comprising 11.8% of Frankston’s total population. This compares with 11.3% for Victoria as a whole.
  • There are approximately 634 people of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin in Frankston, making up approximately 0.6% of the area’s population.

Socio-Economic

  • The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ 2001 Index of Relative Socio-Economic Disadvantage (IRSED) for Frankston was 992.7. A lower score indicates a higher level of disadvantage. This compares with the State IRSED of 1016.
  • Frankston was ranked 22 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 Frankston was 6.1%, compared to 5.5% for Victoria as a whole.

Language/Cultural Background

  • 21.2% of Frankston’s population were born overseas, compared to 23.3% of Victoria as a whole.
  • Of those born overseas, 73.3% speak only English and 22.3% speak English “well” or “very well”.
  • 3.4% 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 13,043 families with children aged 15 and under in Frankston.
  • 74.0% of the 13,043 families are couple families, compared with 80.6% of all families with children aged 15 and under in Victoria.
  • 26.0% of the 13,043 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, 90.6% of children in the 12 to 15 month age cohort in Frankston were fully immunised. This compares to 92.0% of children in this age cohort across Victoria.
  • Based on the 3rd Quarter of 2005, 92.3% of children in the 24 to 27 month age cohort in Frankston 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 227.2 Hospital Separations per 1000 of all children aged 0 to 8 in Frankston.
  • 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 31.5 births per thousand females aged 15 to 19 in Frankston during 2003 and 2004.
  • This compares to 19.0 births per thousand females aged 15 to 19 across Victoria for the same period.

Downloads

Contact Information

Family Services
Frankston City Council
PO Box 490
Frankston 3199

Phone: (03) 9784 1751