2012 Early Years Awards Program - Department of Education and ...

Thank you!
The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development wishes to thank Sandie de Wolf, Heather
Barnes and Maria Apostolopoulos – members of the Victorian Children’s Council – for contributing their
time, enthusiasm and expertise to the judging panel of the Early Years Awards 2012.
Further information
Early Years Awards
The Early Years Awards recognise partnerships by organisations that contribute to improving the
health, learning, development and wellbeing of children and their families from pregnancy, birth and
early childhood development through transition to school (0–8 years).
Sponsored by the Victorian Government’s Best Start Program, the Early Years Awards are an
opportunity to congratulate the organisations nominated and to showcase the positive outcomes of
their innovative approaches towards improving the critical early years of a child’s lifelong journey.
For further information about the Early Years Awards, please visit the Department of Education and
Early Childhood Development’s website: www.education.vic.gov.au/earlyyearsawards
Queries about the awards can be directed by email to: beststart@edumail.vic.gov.au or by phone to:
(03) 9651 3412.
Presentation
Ceremony
Friday 19 October 2012
The Great Hall
National Gallery of Victoria
International
Best Start

Order of Proceedings
Formalities commence Dr Sonia Sharp Deputy Secretary, Early Childhood Development Group
Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
Welcome to Country Aunty Diane Kerr Wurundjeri Elder
Welcome to NGV International Dr Isobel Crombie Assistant Director, Curatorial and Collection Management
National Gallery of Victoria
Minister’s address Hon Wendy Lovell MP Minister for Children and Early Childhood Development
Award presentations Category 1 Better access to child and family support, health services, schools and
early education and care services
Award presentations Category 2 Improvements in parents’ capacity, confidence and enjoyment of
family life
Award presentations Category 3 Communities that are more family and child friendly
Award presentation Minister’s Award A special commendation award will be presented by the Minister to
recognise a partnership with a particular innovative focus and/or
service response
Formalities conclude Dr Sonia Sharp Deputy Secretary, Early Childhood Development Group
Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
Refreshments and entertainment
Message from the Minister
It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the 2012 Early Years Awards.
The Early Years Awards are about celebrating the ingenuity and diversity of
Victoria’s early childhood sector.
Over the past two years I have had the pleasure of visiting and meeting with dedicated
Early Childhood Educators across Victoria. During these interactions, I have seen many
innovative and forward thinking early learning programs that have left me in no doubt
about the exciting future of this sector.
This year we recognise 15 services from across the state which have developed and
implemented such programs.
I believe that this recognition is essential to the future of early learning in Victoria. It is vital
that we showcase great efforts because, as we all know, acting early is the best way to
develop a foundation of learning that can be built upon later in life though primary school,
secondary and post-secondary school environments.
In addition to recognising great programs, I believe that the Victorian Government has a
duty to provide practical and financial support to the sector.
This year we committed an additional $103.7 million to early childhood development which
included the largest ever investment in maternal and child health services and $41 million
for initiatives, such as early start kindergarten.
Overall, this constitutes a 17.6 per cent increase in funding for the year which builds on a
10.8 per cent increase the previous year.
I am thrilled to be able to work with early learning professionals who are passionate about
the sector and who are committed to being an essential component in the development of
our children and, ultimately, our future.
I want to congratulate and commend our finalists today. Now in their seventh year, these
awards demonstrate why Victoria’s early years sector is truly world class.
Hon Wendy Lovell MP
Minister for Children and Early Childhood Development
Entertainment presented by the Performing Arts Unit, Department of
Education and Early Childhood Development
Award Finalists
Better access to child and
family support, health
services, schools and
early education and care
services
Ballarat Best Start
Connecting Schools and Communities
In partnership with:
• City of Ballarat
• Catholic Education Office – Ballarat
• Australian Catholic University – Ballarat
Campus
• Playgroup Victoria
• Victorian Department of Education and
Early Childhood Development
• Local primary schools in AEDI high need
areas
City of Greater Dandenong
Reaching Out
In partnership with:
• Dandenong Primary School
• Dandenong South Primary School
• Greater Dandenong Library Services
• Greater Dandenong Maternal and Child
Health Service
Hume City Council
Supporting Parents – Developing Children
Project
In partnership with:
• Scanlon Foundation
• Commonwealth Department of Families,
Housing, Community Services and
Indigenous Affairs
• Commonwealth Department of Education,
Employment and Workplace Relations
• Commonwealth Department of Human
Services – CRS Australia
• Commonwealth Department of
Immigration and Citizenship through the
Adult Migrant English Program
• Victorian Department of Education and
Early Childhood Development
• Victorian Department of Premier and
Cabinet
• Victorian Multicultural Commission
Maribyrnong City Council
A River of Words – Early Literacy Initiative
In partnership with:
• Pigeons
• Dinjerra Primary School
• Women’s Circus
• Western English Language School
• Footscray North Primary School
• Delta Society
• Braybook Family Inclusive Language and
Learning Support Program
• Westgate Baptist Community Centre
• Australian Vietnamese Women’s
Association
• Braybrook Maidstone Neighbourhood
House
• Central West Shopping Centre
Maryborough District Health Service
Central Goldfields Conversation
Companions Oral Language Project
In partnership with:
• Central Goldfields Shire Council
• St Luke’s Anglicare
• YMCA of Ballarat
• Maryborough Education Centre
• St Augustine’s Primary School
• Inkerman Street Childcare Centre
• Central Goldfields Network of Small
Schools
Save the Children
Mooroopna Kindergarten
In partnership with:
• Scope Shepparton
• Greater Shepparton City Council
• Goulburn Valley Health
• Early Childhood Intervention Services
• Victorian Department of Education and
Early Childhood Development
• Rumbalara Aboriginal Co-operative Ltd
• Mooroopna Park, Mooroopna, Gowrie
Street, St George’s and Wilmot Road
Primary Schools
Improvements in parents’
capacity, confidence and
enjoyment of family life
Berry Street
Happening Families
In partnership with:
• Luke’s Place – Uniting Church Gippsland
• Community College Gippsland
• Parentzone – Anglicare
• Latrobe City Best Start
• Polyglot Theatre Company
CentaCare
Tarrengower Playgroup
In partnership with:
• Mount Alexander Shire Maternal and Child
Health Service
• Tarrengower Prison, Victorian Department
of Justice
Mission Australia
Aimin’ High Teenage Mothers Program
In partnership with:
• Mission Australia Community Services
• Hallam Senior Secondary College
Communities that are more
family and child friendly
Bubup Wilam for Early Learning Inc.
In partnership with:
• City of Whittlesea
• Thomastown West Primary School
• Thomastown Secondary College
• Victorian Aboriginal Education
Association Incorporated
• Secretariat of the National Aboriginal and
Islander Child Care
• Plenty Valley Community Health Centre
Hume City Council
Craigieburn Child and Family Centre
Integrated Hub
In partnership with:
• KU Children’s Services
• Brotherhood of St Laurence
• UnitingCare ReGen
• Mount Ridley College
Maribyrnong City Council
Clare Court Children’s Service
In partnership with:
• Clare Court Children’s Service
Nillumbik Best Start
Family Friendly Places and Spaces Project
In partnership with:
• Nillumbik Shire Council
• Nillumbik Community Health Service
• Nillumbik Primary Principals Network
• Berry Street
• Yarra Plenty Regional Library
• Victorian Department of Education and
Early Childhood Development
South Gippsland Shire Council
Cook ‘n’ Book, Venus Bay Community
Centre
In partnership with:
• Venus Bay Community Centre Inc.
• West Gippsland Regional Library
Corporation
• South Coast Best Start
Wodonga City Council
Wodonga – A Child Friendly City with
Opportunities for Best Outcomes
In partnership with:
• Mungabareena Aboriginal Corporation
• Albury Wodonga Aboriginal Health
Service