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:
| State | Location |
|---|---|
| NSW | Doonside |
| NSW | Mount Druitt |
| NSW | Taree |
| NSW | Bourke |
| NSW | Wagga Wagga |
| NSW | Broken Hill |
| NSW | Gosford |
| NSW | Wyong |
| NSW | Dubbo |
| NSW | Kempsey |
| NT | Alice Springs |
| NT | Angurugu |
| NT | Galiwin’ku |
| NT | Tennant Creek |
| NT | Katherine |
| NT | Ngukurr |
| SA | Ceduna |
| SA | Port Augusta |
| SA | Salisbury/Playford |
| SA | Port Adelaide |
| QLD | Doomadgee |
| QLD | Rasmussen |
| QLD | Mareeba |
| QLD | Mackay |
| QLD | Eagleby |
| QLD | Maryborough |
| QLD | Hervey Bay |
| QLD | Rockhampton |
| QLD | Cairns |
| QLD | Bundaberg |
| VIC | Mildura |
| VIC | Shepparton |
| VIC | Whittlesea |
| VIC | Ballarat |
| VIC | Bairnsdale |
| TAS | Bridgewater/Gagebrook |
| TAS | Burnie |
| TAS | George Town |
| WA | Kalgoorlie |
| WA | Derby |
| WA | Roebourne |
| WA | Bidyadanga |
| WA | Great Central Southern (Katanning) |
| WA | Port Hedland |
| WA | Kununnurra |
| ACT | South Canberra |
| ACT | North 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.