Best Start Project Sites
Existing sites - Greater Geelong (focus on Rosewall)
Best Start Parenting Working Group designed dental health kits (delivered them to MCHN, playgroups, kindergartens and prep children along side with health Promotion information). This initiative lead to collaboration with Barwon Health Dental Services. Best Start Piloted the project for Dental health Services Victoria for Smiles 4 miles.
The project aimed to target kindergartens regarding health promotion by having resources for children such as lunchboxes and water bottles. In addition the development of healthy eating policies in kindergartens.
Access to services was targeted through immunisation programs at local community health centres.
Smiles4miles program is now linked to Romp & Chomp (physical health promotion) and Kids, Go for your Life
Since the pilot, Smiles4miles now is extending across to the majority of kindergartens in the City of Greater Geelong.
Best Start also continues to deliver the dental health kits (toothbrush and toothpaste) and deliver health promotion to all targeted sites and community festivals.
Early Years Literacy Project
Is in Partnership with local books supplier whereby accesses to books were purchased for reasonable prices.
Best Start Literacy Pack included
- Information for parents regarding the importance of literacy
- Corio Library Times
- A book
Schools, Maternal and Child Health Services, kindergartens were approached and set up book promotion sessions where there was resources and promotional materials. During these times, gift vouchers and a variety of books were available to parents. Griffith Book Sellers were a major partner.
Collaboration with Corio Library (Geelong Regional Library Corp), which then lead to the pilot Smith Family.
Lets Read Project (www.letsread.com.au) was developed by the Centre for Child Community Health. A DVD is available for people to purchase.
Best Start circulated a pack, which included the Lets Read DVD, an age appropriate book and tips sheets on how to read to your child. This project was sponsored by Shell in Corio.
Best Start Rosewall was the first site to launch the Lets Read nationally in August 2005.
Currently Best Start Rosewall has been distributing the Lets Read packages to Corio families through MCHN, Playgroups, Preps and Grade 1's, kindergartens and Neighbourhood house.
"Lets Read" Early Years Literacy Network group established to look at Broader Literacy initiatives in Geelong (currently there is an outreach librarian who works 1 day a week and visits kindergartens, primary schools in the Rosewall area and conducts story telling.)
Rosewall Neighbourhood Centre
The Rosewall Coordinated Playgroup Network was established in January 2005 and was a direct initiative through the Rosewall Best Start Partnership. It was identified through community consultation and networking with Best Start partners that there was a need for a service to link families with local community groups. These local community groups were Rosewall Kindergarten, Rosewall Primary School, Corio West Primary School, Rosewall Neighbourhood Centre and the local Maternal Child Health.
The target group is families with children between the ages 0-4 years however focusing on the 2-4 year age group, as this was identified in the community consultations, as an age group where there was a gap in services provision.
The Playgroup aims to be a pivotal point of connection in the community for families to value and regularly access universal services, particularly Kindergarten. In addition it aims to support parents with parenting, increase participation of young families within the community, and to link families with other community facilities such as the Neighbourhood Centre.
The Best Start partnership funds a paid playgroup facilitator - Karen Butterworth to coordinate the playgroup. The facilitator provides strong mentoring and modelling for the parents but at all times allowing the parents to build confidence in their parenting skills and leadership at the Playgroup. Karen provides a neutral role that allows all parents to feel welcome and included.
The Playgroup has had a direct impact on families and children within the community. Some of the most notable links have been parents taking part in courses run by Rosewall Neighbourhood Centre, the participation in the establishment and ongoing maintenance of the community garden (The garden is a community venture supported by Neighbourhood Renewal and is utilized by the Playgroup, Kindergarten, School, Neighbourhood Centre, Rosewall Training Café as well as members of the community.) and offers the chance for mentoring as well as parenting programs.
The Coordinated Playgroup provides a previously unavailable service to the community and is delivered to parents despite barriers such as social isolation, transport and cost.
The playgroup draws together a vast network of families, with varying needs and capabilities. Due to the success of the Coordinated Playgroup and the Playgroup Facilitator there are currently over 20 parents utilizing the Rosewall playgroup. The Corio West Primary School Playgroup will target the new Prep families each year and the Kindergarten parents with smaller siblings to also develop an early familiarisation to the school and an early promotion of the value of regular attendance at Kindergartens and Primary Schools.
The coordinated playgroup has become well established in the community, providing a much-needed community based, family friendly environment. As numbers grow within the playgroup, work will be done with interested members to establish an additional, parent run playgroup, offering support along the way. As an extension to the Playgroup and Kindergarten an Occasional Care service has commenced. This is currently being supported by Best Start with the aim of it becoming self funded and the opportunity for parents to attend ACFE Courses at the Neighbourhood House.
After School Activities Program
Best Start has funded this project to increase primary school children's access and participation in sporting and recreational and develop a community based exercise program, which will be held in community sporting settings. Rosewall Primary School and Leisure Networks links with the relevant sport clubs to be involved in the program.
The Corio Norlane Neighbourhood Renewal (CNNR) Community Survey (2005) indicated that the community felt they lacked opportunities for recreational activities and that their health was poorer than those in surrounding areas. This along with other data relating to school absenteeism and incidences of crime in after school hours, also believed to be due to a lack of recreational options, led to the decision to replicate the program in the suburbs of Corio and Norlane. ASAP is an accessible, supported and sustainable sports/activities program being run for children from 7 local Primary Schools (Government and Catholic). ASAP provides different activities such as Lawn bowls, Martial Arts, and Soccer and promotes the importance of physical activity in creating healthier lifestyles for all children. There is a participation fee of a 'gold coin donation' ensures that a wide range of children are able to participate. Approximately 140 children are currently enrolled and approximately 40% of children take up the sorts that they try.
Leisure Networks take a lead role in building the capacity of the individual clubs so that they are better able to engage and work more effectively with young children and provide quality experiences. 'Inclusiveness Training' is provided for all sporting officials participating in the program to ensure that their sport is accessible to children of all abilities. Clubs are provided with a small grant to purchase specialist equipment suitable for small children. Clubs are paid for the time they commit providing employment and sustainability for the club.
Children are encouraged to take up membership with the club of their choice at the end of each term's program and the club provides an accessible pathway into club life by allowing payment plans for club fees and uniforms.
The partnership includes school principals and welfare staff, community development workers and sporting club officials.
LGA Profile
Population
- The 2004 total population of Greater Geelong Local Government Area (LGA) was 202,615.
- The Department of Sustainability and Environment projects the 2020 population of Greater Geelong LGA will reach 244,097.
- There are 22,450 children aged 0 to 8, comprising 11.1% of Greater Geelong’s total population. This compares with 11.3% for Victoria as a whole.
- There are approximately 1,394 people of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin in Greater Geelong, making up approximately 0.7% of the area’s population.
Socio-Economic
- The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ 2001 Index of Relative Socio-Economic Disadvantage (IRSED) for Greater Geelong was 993.1. A lower score indicates a higher level of disadvantage. This compares with the State IRSED of 1016.
- Greater Geelong was ranked 23 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 Greater Geelong was 7.5%, compared to 5.5% for Victoria as a whole.
Language/Cultural Background
- 16.2% of Greater Geelong’s population were born overseas, compared to 23.3% of Victoria as a whole.
- Of those born overseas, 58.2% speak only English and 31.4% speak English “well” or “very well”.
- 9.1% 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 19,959 families with children aged 15 and under in Greater Geelong.
- 76.8% of the 19,959 families are couple families, compared with 80.6% of all families with children aged 15 and under in Victoria.
- 23.2% of the 19,959 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, 93.1% of children in the 12 to 15 month age cohort in Greater Geelong were fully immunised. This compares to 92.0% of children in this age cohort across Victoria.
- Based on the 3rd Quarter of 2005, 93.3% of children in the 24 to 27 month age cohort in Greater Geelong 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 184.3 Hospital Separations per 1000 of all children aged 0 to 8 in Greater Geelong.
- 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 23.1 births per thousand females aged 15 to 19 in Greater Geelong during 2003 and 2004.
- This compares to 19.0 births per thousand females aged 15 to 19 across Victoria for the same period.
Contact Information
Family Services
City of Greater Geelong
Ariston, 245-249 Pakington Street
Geelong 3220
Phone: (03) 5227 0741
See also: