New Sites
A Fairer Victoria (Victorian State Government, 2005) further outlines the State Government's commitment to improve access to vital services, reduce barriers to opportunity, and strengthen assistance for disadvantaged groups, people with disability and people with mental illnesses'; thereby strengthening our community as a whole.
Giving children the best start in life is a key government strategy within A Fairer Victoria. The Victorian State Government acknowledges that the first four years are critical to the long-term health and development of children and their future chances.
The development and implementation of the new sites is an opportunity for best start to apply learning and experiences gained from the existing sites.
Phase 3 (2005-2009) is an opportunity for Best Start to translate and apply the learning's gained from the demonstration sites to the new sites. In addition, new directions of the Office for Children will continue to inform project development. Some changes include:
- Further refinement of the statewide indicators
- Improving the analysis of outcome data to inform planning and evaluation
- More targeted action plans incorporating interventions that are evidence-based
- Strengthening partnership development
- Using the learnings to improve the engagement of vulnerable children and families.
Phase 3 also includes:
- Ten new mainstream Best Start projects
- Four new Aboriginal Best Start projects
- Extension of the existing mainstream and Aboriginal Best Start projects
- A report on the health status of recently arrived refugee children.