Best Start

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Best Start Project Sites

Existing sites - Yarra Ranges Shire

The first three townships to be given the "Best Start" in the Shire of Yarra Ranges are:

  • Millgrove
  • Warburton
  • Gladysdale/Powelltown

Each of these townships has a Local Action Group made up predominantly of parents and community members, but also comprising service providers. These groups are pivotal in the implementation of the early improvements to services as identified in the Action Plan.

Key Activity Area Working Groups

The four activity areas identified in the Action Plan include Children, Communities, Parents/Families and Services. The Local Action Groups are leading the strategies identified in the Communities Action Plan, whilst members of the Steering Group have joined one or more of the remaining three Working Groups and will drive the implementation of the relevant strategies.

Ongoing Improvements

Parenting Education and Support
A series of parenting workshops have been held to support parents on a range of topics including 123 Magic- Behaviour management, Self Esteem- Building Strengths in ourselves and our Children, Tool for Dads, Play and Behaviour, Protect our Children and First Aid. These workshops are being held in partnership with Anglicare Parentzone, Playgroup Victoria and the RiverValley Centre and Yarra Valley Community Health.

Kids Hope
Local Churches have provided local primary schools with volunteer mentors. This commitment is for a minimum one year period. Mentors will work on a one to one basis with children in the early years of Primary School on both academic and creative play goals. Kids Hope mentors are supported via the Kids Hope Australia National Office (World Vision Australia)

Ante and Post Natal Development Project
An exciting partnership with Eastern Health and Yarra Valley Community Health Service offering a pregnancy support pilot project in the Upper Yarra area. Overall the purpose of the project is to help maximise maternal, fetal and baby health and well being through the creation of effective clinical and education support services including post natal services.

Early Exposure to Learning.
This multifaceted project is aimed at enhancing opportunities within the community for improved access to resources and information about the importance of early exposure to learning. In partnership with Eastern Regional Libraries these opportunties include "Sharing Songs and Stories" playgroup pantomine performances in Children Week, a "How can I help my Child to Read" Leaflet and the introduction of Mobile Library services to Millgrove. New playgroups for Millgrove and Powelltown and a whole of community approach to promoting early reading in 2005 Book Week will also contribute to this project. Yarra Ranges has also benefited from the Royal Children's Hospital "Let's Read" project and the "Read with Me" baby book bag program from Eastern Regional Libraries.

LGA Profile

Population

  • The 2004 total population of Yarra Ranges Local Government Area (LGA) was 143,228.
  • The Department of Sustainability and Environment projects the 2020 population of Yarra Ranges LGA will reach 146,147.
  • There are 17,669 children aged 0 to 8, comprising 12.3% of Yarra Ranges’ total population. This compares with 11.3% for Victoria as a whole.
  • There are approximately 851 people of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin in Yarra Ranges, 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 Yarra Ranges was 1037.1. A lower score indicates a higher level of disadvantage. This compares with the State IRSED of 1016.
  • Yarra Ranges was ranked 60 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 Yarra Ranges was 4.2%, compared to 5.5% for Victoria as a whole.

Language/Cultural Background

  • 16.8% of Yarra Ranges’ population were born overseas, compared to 23.3% of Victoria as a whole.
  • Of those born overseas, 76.9% speak only English and 19.7% speak English “well” or “very well”.
  • 2.7% 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 16,829 families with children aged 15 and under in Yarra Ranges.
  • 81.4% of the 16,829 families are couple families, compared with 80.6% of all families with children aged 15 and under in Victoria.
  • 18.6% of the 16,829 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, 86.5% of children in the 12 to 15 month age cohort in Yarra Ranges were fully immunised. This compares to 92.0% of children in this age cohort across Victoria.
  • Based on the 3rd Quarter of 2005, 90.9% of children in the 24 to 27 month age cohort in Yarra Ranges 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 226.7 Hospital Separations per 1000 of all children aged 0 to 8 in Yarra Ranges.
  • 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 15.4 births per thousand females aged 15 to 19 in Yarra Ranges 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 and Children's Services
Shire of Yarra Ranges
PO Box 105
Lilydale 3140

Phone: (03) 9294 6243