The Albanese Labor Government is stepping up its work with communities to drive coordinated, locally led change under a new national Place Partnership Model – backed by almost $40 million – that will deliver better outcomes for children and families who need it most.
Rolling out across 18 communities, the new model will deliver better outcomes for children and families, as well as create local jobs, and reduce crime.
The model puts community and local leaders in the driver’s seat, to use their local knowledge to better guide where government funding goes, including through initiatives such as the Children and Family Support program.
The funding can support geographically specific activities like community-led school engagement and mentoring programs, locally driven employment pathways, youth recreation programs, and tailored family support services like counselling for children.
By listening to local communities and targeting the drivers of disadvantage in each location, the government will be able to better direct intensive support to areas of greatest need.
The new national model builds on the successful place-based work being led by local leaders right across Australia.
Today, the Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Tanya Plibersek were in Logan, Queensland – one of the 18 partnership locations – to see firsthand how the local community is coming together to make the biggest difference for their children and families.
The Ministers visited Logan Together, a local non-profit organisation improving the wellbeing of children aged 0 to 8 years of age.
Logan Together is one of many organisations that demonstrate the power of local solutions and ideas combined with Government partnership and investment. They have worked with more than 2800 families in the past five years, to help develop connections with child development services.
Through their Maternal and Child Health Hubs, the rate of still births for First Nations babies now sits at 0.3% as opposed to between 1% and 5% across other parts of Queensland. In Berrinba, Logan Together’s programs have supported a 23.5% increase in children who are developmentally on track.
More information is available on the Department of Social Services website.
Quotes attributable to the Treasurer, Jim Chalmers:
“We have the model of successful community-led early childhood initiatives right here in our local community with Logan Together.
“Logan Together does really important work helping Logan kids, and I’ve seen the benefits in our local community over many years.
“I have championed their community-led approach, which is the basis for the Place Partnership Model program we’re announcing today.”
Quotes attributable to the Minister for Social Services, Tanya Plibersek:
“We know a one size fits all approach doesn’t work in every community.
“This new Place Partnership Model puts communities in the driver’s seat - because local people know best what will make a real difference for their families.
“When communities work together, and governments listen and respond, we see better outcomes including healthier babies, more kids in school, higher graduation rates and more jobs and opportunities.
“This model will be a blueprint for how governments can work in genuine partnership with communities into the future.”
List of the 18 partnership locations:
Cape York, Rockhampton, Gladstone, Logan, Bourke, MacLeay Valley (including Kempsey), Central Coast, Inner Sydney, Goulburn-Murray, Mildura, Burnie, Ngarrindjeri Ruwe, Far West Region, NPY Lands, West Kimberley, East Kimberley, Tennant Creek, Gove Peninsula/Northeast Arnhem Land.