Tuesday, 06 August 2024 16:51
ENSURING FIST NATIONS CHILDREN ARE SCHOOL READY
THE Albanese Government is helping First Nations children get the best start in life, expanding the successful Connected Beginnings program to the New South Wales Central Coast.
Minster for Early Childhood Education and Care today announced $3.8M for Barang Regional Alliance to deliver Connected Beginnings sites in Wyong and Gosford.
The program connects First Nations children aged zero to five with a range of early childhood health, education, and family support services – helping children meet the learning and development milestones necessary to achieve a positive transition to school.
In communities where the program is already established we are seeing success in increasing hours of centre-based childcare and preschool enrolments and in the number of children on track in all five Australian Early Development Census domains.
The new Central Coast sites will support around 2,400 First Nations children in the local area.
The program is a key contributor to the early childhood targets set in Closing the Gap. It builds partnerships with First Nations communities by supporting community-led decision-making.
The Government partners with SNAICC National Voice for our Children and the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation to deliver the Connected Beginnings program, a community-led project achieving results for about 19,600 First Nations children across Australia.
The new Wyong and Gosford sites are part of an $81.8 million investment to expand the program to 50 sites across the Country. Once all 50 sites are established the program has the potential to support up to 20 per cent of all First Nations children aged zero to five.
Other Connected Beginnings sites in New South Wales include Doonside, Mount Druitt, Taree, Bourke, Wagga Wagga and Broken Hill.
Learn more about the Connected Beginnings program at: https://www.education.gov.au/early-childhood/community-child-care-fund/connected-beginnings.
Member for Dobell Emma McBride said: Early learning is one of the most powerful tools we have in Closing the Gap, programs like Connected Beginnings help make sure First Nations children in our community are school ready.
“The Central Coast Connected Beginnings Sites will provide wrap-around education and health support to around 2,400 local First Nations children in the critical first five years of life.”
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Monday, 05 August 2024 18:52
CELEBRATING JPs WITH 50 YEARS SERVICE
MEMEBER for The Entrance, David Mehan recently held a morning tea to celebrate two remarkable local residents who have attained 50 years of service as Justices of the Peace (JPs) in The Entrance electorate. The morning tea was attended by JPs Ms Beverley Hunter and Mr Kevin Hosford, and their respective family and friends who were proud and delighted to be a part of this incredible milestone. JPs provide an important civic service to the community in verifying, witnessing and certifying documents to validate their accuracy. The Service is voluntary in nature and JPs can be appointed based on employment or community need. For those who are interested, and to confirm eligibility, you can visit https://dcj.nsw.gov.au/legal-and-justice/legal-assistance-and-representation/justice-of-the-peace/become-a-jp.html.
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Monday, 05 August 2024 08:58
IT'S BEEN A STADIUM BONANZA
Sporting events pour $10M to Coast economy
By SUN REPORTERS
FOUR huge sporting events at Gosford’s Industree Group Stadium in recent weeks have smashed attendance and visitation records, creating scores of new jobs and pumping a whopping $9.75 million into the Central Coast economy.
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