BY FIVE, an innovative project in the Wimmera Southern Mallee, shows a community can create local solutions that enable children to thrive.<\/p>\n
BY FIVE is an early year\u2019s project that aims to improve the health, wellbeing and development of children in the WSM.<\/p>\n
The project is the result of a Regional Partnership Assembly process whereby communities in the region had the opportunity to identify and act on their own needs.<\/p>\n
The partnership identified the early years as a major priority for the region.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe called the project \u2018BY FIVE\u2019 because it covers five geographic clusters within WSM and we want to see significant change on five developmental outcomes by the time children reach five years of age and start school,\u201d<\/em> explains project chairperson, Emma Vogel.<\/p>\n Each of the five geographic clusters in BY FIVE has been working with Rachel Robinson from the Centre for Community Child Health at the Murdoch Children\u2019s Research Institute to map their local system as a child moves between parent, maternal child health services, childcare, kinder, health services, and school.<\/p>\n \u201cThe evidence is clear, to ensure children get the best start, we need to improve the conditions under which families are raising children and amplify early childhood development with joined up quality services capable of working together to respond to local <\/em>needs<\/em>,\u201d<\/strong> explains Rachel Robinson.<\/p>\n The partnership engages community members and services involved in children\u2019s first five years of life to: Emma Vogel, BY FIVE Project Chairperson, feels that without the partnership, the region wouldn\u2019t have the opportunities, resources, and capacity it has today.<\/p>\n \u201cA small, well-targeted investment from government has unlocked an enormous sleeping giant\u2013the power of local communities to identify and resolve its own issues.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n For more information, contact Rachel Robinson<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nHow has the partnership enabled local action?<\/h2>\n
\n\u2022\u00a0 understand complex local needs and identify respectful responses and solutions
\n\u2022\u00a0 develop action research plans related to each of the five geographic locations and early years situations
\n\u2022\u00a0 co-design and integrate locals system to ensure they are accessible to all children
\n\u2022\u00a0 build on existing resources, skills, knowledge and capacity in the WSM.<\/p>\n