Connected Beginnings

Connected Beginnings prepares Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children for school. The program supports both children from birth to school age and pregnant women. It aims to close the gap in school readiness and education outcomes for children and non-Indigenous children.

About the program

Connected Beginnings is a program that is jointly delivered by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing and Aged Care and the Department of Education.

Connected Beginnings aims to improve education, health and development outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

The program focuses on ensuring that early childhood services all work together to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families have access to the services they need. These services include:

  • early childhood education and care services
  • maternal and child health services
  • family support services
  • preschools
  • schools
  • councils and government agencies.

Connected Beginnings fund 47 Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services and Aboriginal Medical Services in the following locations:

StateLocation
NSWDoonside
NSWMount Druitt
NSWTaree
NSWBourke
NSWWagga Wagga
NSWBroken Hill
NSWGosford
NSWWyong
NSWDubbo
NSWKempsey
NTAlice Springs
NTAngurugu
NTGaliwin’ku
NTTennant Creek
NTKatherine
NTNgukurr
SACeduna
SAPort Augusta
SASalisbury/Playford 
SAPort Adelaide 
QLDDoomadgee
QLDRasmussen
QLDMareeba
QLDMackay
QLDEagleby
QLDMaryborough 
QLDHervey Bay
QLDRockhampton
QLDCairns
QLDBundaberg
VICMildura
VICShepparton
VICWhittlesea
VICBallarat
VICBairnsdale
TASBridgewater/Gagebrook
TASBurnie
TASGeorge Town
WAKalgoorlie
WADerby
WARoebourne
WABidyadanga
WAGreat Central Southern (Katanning) 
WAPort Hedland
WA Kununnurra 
ACTSouth Canberra
ACTNorth Canberra

The program forms part of the first Commonwealth Closing the Gap Implementation Plan. It aims are to contribute to achieving Outcome 4, that children thrive in their early years, under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.

Program expansion

In 2021, the Australian Government provided an additional $37 million to the Department of Health and $42.8 million to the Department of Education to expand the Connected Beginnings Program to 50 sites by 2025.

We are working in partnership with the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) on the delivery of the health component of the Connected Beginnings program.

More information

Read about the funded component of the program on the Department of Education website.

Date last updated:

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