Data - Evidence Base
General - data
Catalogue of Evidence-based Interventions
This catalogue of evidence-based strategies for early intervention in children’s health and wellbeing was commissioned from the Centre for Health Service Development, University of Wollongong, by the Victorian Department of Human Services for its Best Start program. Best Start is run jointly with the Victorian Department of Education and Training, and its aims are to improve the health, development, learning and wellbeing of Victorian children aged up to eight years, with an emphasis on prevention and early intervention. These aims are to be accomplished by supporting communities, parents and service providers to improve early year services so they are more responsive to local needs.
Best Start was piloted from 2002 to 2006 with 11 mainstream and two Aboriginal sites. In mid-2006 a further 10 mainstream and four Aboriginal sites were announced, and the funding for the pilot sites extended. The purpose of this catalogue is to assist Best Start sites in implementing interventions in key outcome areas. Fifteen indicators have been identified by the Department for Human Services under 13 headings or key sections. Each Best Start project is required to target four to five areas.
The Local level Child Health and Wellbeing Survey - information sheet
The Local Level Child Health and Wellbeing Survey is intended to provide a broad overview of how children and families are faring within LGAs. Starting in February 2007, 9000 telephone interviews for the Local Level Child Health and Wellbeing Survey will be carried out in the following 25 LGAs where Best Start programs operate.
Best Start Atlas
The Best Start Atlas is a compilation and analysis of a range of characteristics about Victorian children 0–8 years of age. Characteristics have been identified jointly by the Victorian Department of Human Services and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), with consideration given to a number of factors, including relevance to the project, reliability of the data and the identification of data that were not previously available in the public domain.
If you have difficulties downloading this file please contact us or download the Atlas in sections:
Section 1: 2001 Census of the population and housing
- Chapter 1: Population (PDF - 803Kb)
- Chapter 2: Families in Victoria (PDF - 2.0Mb)
- Chapter 3: Socioeconomic environment (PDF - 3.1Mb)
- Chapter 4: Physical environment (PDF - 547Kb)
Section 2: Best Start Indicators
- Chapter 5: Child health, development, learning and wellbeing (PDF - 1.3Mb)
- Chapter 6: Services (PDF - 2.1Mb)
- Bibliography (PDF - 51Kb)