KidsMatter Early Childhood eNewsletter
Christmas Edition, 2011
- KidsMatter Early Childhood 2012 plan
- New resources for families and staff
- KidsMatter Early Childhood evaluation
- Thank you to all our pilot sites!
KidsMatter Early Childhood 2012 plan
We are very pleased to let you know the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing has made a commitment to ongoing implementation of KidsMatter Early Childhood until June 2014 and as such we are hoping to engage new early childhood services with KMEC in the early part of 2012. Keep an eye on the KidsMatter Early Childhood website for further information.
New resources for families and staff
Over the coming months resources surrounding information on each of the four KidsMatter Early Childhood components will become available to families and early childhood services. These resources will include information on helping children manage the ups and downs of life; strengthening family relationships; the importance of father involvement in the early years and keeping a balance in children’s lives. Resources will be uploaded onto the KidsMatter Early Childhood website and will also be distributed to pilot services as booklets.
KidsMatter Early Childhood evaluation
An important component of the KidsMatter Early Childhood pilot has been the evaluation process conducted by the team at Flinders University. The evaluation seeks to provide information about the implementation process and whether the initiative leads to improved mental health for young children in early childhood settings.
As you know, the evaluation has relied on the willing participation of families and early childhood services staff as well as the KidsMatter Early Childhood facilitators. The evaluation has included exciting aspects – to complement questionnaires and interviews, parents and staff in ten services (selected for their representation of diversity) have been invited to take photos to express how being part of the KidsMatter Early Childhood pilot has made a difference. Through this, families and staff have a chance to tell their own story in their own words.
In between now and the final evaluation report due mid next year, the Flinders team will be working to collect final data as well as ensuring this is prepared and analysed.
Early Childhood Australia, the Australian Psychological Society, beyondblue and Flinders University would like to sincerely thank all parents and staff, Service Directors and Leadership teams for their time and contribution to the evaluation process. We look forward to sharing further information in 2012.
Thank you to all our pilot sites!
We would like to thank all our pilot sites for their involvement in the KidsMatter Early Childhood initiative over the past two years. We hope families and staff have enjoyed their participation. We look forward to hearing about the experiences of our pilot sites and the ideas they have implemented for each of the four KidsMatter Early Childhood components. We wish our families, staff and pilot sites happy and safe end of year celebrations.
