Special Rudd Government programs offering educational support to very young children from disadvantaged families will be established in every Australian State and Territory from next year.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Parliamentary Secretary for Early Childhood Education and Childcare, Maxine McKew, today announced 13 new locations for the Home Interaction Program (HIP) for parents and children.
As part of the Education Revolution and in partnership with the Brotherhood of Saint Laurence, this program offers home tutoring, books and educational resources to disadvantaged children aged between three and five years.
The Rudd Government has committed to $32.5 million over five years to roll out the program nationally.
Mr Rudd said that parents played a crucial role in their child's education.
“This program helps parents to provide their children with the skills and confidence to start school with a positive attitude to learning,” Mr Rudd said.
The 2007 National Report on Schooling in Australia Preliminary Paper indicates that by Year 3, children from families where neither parent has worked for twelve months or more, do considerably worse against reading, writing and numeracy benchmarks.
By Year 3:
* 88.5% of children from jobless families are meeting reading benchmarks compared with 93.4% of all students;
* 87.2% from jobless families are meeting writing benchmarks compared with 93% of all students; and
* 87.3% from jobless families are meeting numeracy benchmarks compared with 93.2% of all students.
“To close this gap, the Rudd Government is determined to identify and target additional resources to parents, children and schools where there is underachievement and disadvantage,” Ms McKew said.
Home Interaction Programs will be established in 50 communities, supporting 3,000 families. HIP already operates at nine locations, six in Victoria; two in Tasmania; and one in New South Wales.
An additional 13 locations will be rolled out in 2009, including implementing a program in Launceston, Tasmania in partnership with Anglicare, with a further 14 locations in 2010 and 14 in 2011.
The Brotherhood of Saint Laurence in collaboration with the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations is now calling for expressions of interest for partnership organisations to implement the program within one of the identified locations. A full list of locations is attached.
The Prime Minister and Ms McKew encouraged organisations with a focus on family and children who are well connected in their local community to apply.
Those successful will provide managerial support to the program coordinator, an office and meeting space and links to other community, family and children's services, including kindergartens, child care and schools.
Organisations interested in applying can locate the Expression of Interest application form and additional program information from the Home Interaction Program Australia website at www.hippyaustralia.org.au.
The 12 new Home Interaction Program locations where a partner is required:
* Claymore (Campbelltown) NSW
* Windale (Newcastle) NSW
* Inala (Brisbane City) QLD
* Riverview (Ipswich City) QLD
* Elizabeth Grove (Adelaide) SA
* Girrawheen (Perth) WA
* Rockingham WA
* Rosebery TAS
* Sheffield TAS
* Clarendon Vale (Hobart) TAS
* Charnwood (Canberra) ACT
* Alice Springs NT