Best Start

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Best Start Project Sites

Existing sites - Greater Shepparton

Best Start Partnership has made a natural progression to become the Best Start MEYP Partnership.

Priorities

In 2005 Greater Shepparton City Council adopted a Municipal Early Years Plan (MEYP). This plan was in reality a re-badge of the action plan developed for the Greater Shepparton Best Start Demonstration Project. Over the next 6 months the Partnership that has been guiding the work of the Best Start Project will be reviewing the MEYP. The aim is to develop a more coherent document that accurately reflects the priority areas that require ongoing support and resources over the next couple of years. A final copy of the MEYP is expected by July 2006.

It is anticipated that the Best Start Partnership will continue to support and guide the ongoing work of several key working groups that have been part of the Best Start Project, in particular the Breastfeeding Workgroup, Community Literacy Workgroup and Playgroup Network. The ongoing evaluation of the tasks undertaken by the working groups and the MEYP has been identified as a priority and will be one of the key ongoing roles as the MEYP develops.

Local activity in Shepparton

These will be documented in the Municipal Early Years Plan when finalized in December 2006

LGA Profile

Population

  • The 2004 total population of Greater Shepparton Local Government Area (LGA) was 60,025.
  • The Department of Sustainability and Environment projects the 2020 population of Greater Shepparton LGA will reach 73,151.
  • There are 7,658 children aged 0 to 8, comprising 12.8% of Greater Shepparton’s total population. This compares with 11.3% for Victoria as a whole.
  • There are approximately 1,601 people of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin in Greater Shepparton, making up approximately 2.8% of the area’s population.

Socio-Economic

  • The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ 2001 Index of Relative Socio-Economic Disadvantage (IRSED) for Greater Shepparton was 976.7. A lower score indicates a higher level of disadvantage. This compares with the State IRSED of 1016.
  • Greater Shepparton was ranked 9 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 Shepparton was 6.7%, compared to 5.5% for Victoria as a whole.

Language/Cultural Background

  • 10.3% of Greater Shepparton’s population were born overseas, compared to 23.3% of Victoria as a whole.
  • Of those born overseas, 43.3% speak only English and 40.2% speak English -"well or very well".
  • 14.9% 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 6,577 families with children aged 15 and under in Greater Shepparton.
  • 78.2% of the 6,577 families are couple families, compared with 80.6% of all families with children aged 15 and under in Victoria.
  • 21.8% of the 6,577 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, 93.5% of children in the 12 to 15 month age cohort in Greater Shepparton were fully immunised. This compares to 92.0% of children in this age cohort across Victoria.
  • Based on the 3rd Quarter of 2005, 92.0% of children in the 24 to 27 month age cohort in Greater Shepparton 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 493.1 Hospital Separations per 1000 of all children aged 0 to 8 in Greater Shepparton.
  • 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 35.1 births per thousand females aged 15 to 19 in Greater Shepparton during 2003 and 2004.
  • This compares to 19.0 births per thousand females aged 15 to 19 across Victoria for the same period.

Spotlight Activity

The partnership is currently working on

  • Update of Breastfeeding Friendly Map,
  • Translation of Family &Children's Services Community Directory booklet
  • Best Start 'Story a Day' program to be implemented across all Council operated kinders in 2007
  • Breastfeeding friendly workplace initiative - 7 businesses participating and trialling the breastfeeding friendly policy
  • Reshaping MCH services - outreach to early childhood centres (childcare/kinder) and services (playgroups)
  • Supporting and enhancing the playgroup network in Greater Shepparton
  • Consolidating Best Start community literacy work with Early Learning is Fun (ELF) program across all of Greater Shepparton.

Downloads

Contact Information

Family and Children's Services
City of Greater Shepparton
90 Welsford Street
Shepparton 3632

Phone: (03) 5832 9782