Victorian Maternal and Child Health Services
REFLECTING ON THE PAST,
ENHANCING THE PRESENT,
DESIGNING THE FUTURE
REFLECTING ON THE PAST
ENHANCING THE PRESENT
How do we better fulfil children’s potential?
Finland
1
UK
4
New Zealand
9
Hong Kong
19
Japan
21
Canada
26
Australia
28
Mexico
32
Turkey
China
The Economist Starting Well Index 2012
35
42
Existing Early Childhood Services
Number of services and
children (annual)
State Government funding
Other funding
Maternal and Child
Health (MCH)
services
Operate in all Victorian local
government areas, around
250,000 children from
pregnancy to age 6.
Victorian Government funds
50% of universal MCH and
100% of the Enhanced MCH
program.
Local government funds
50% of universal MCH.
Early childhood
education and care
Operate nationally, with around
148,000 Victorian children
aged from birth to 5 attending
Commonwealth approved
centres.
Victorian Government does
not pay a general early
childhood education and care
subsidy (but does fund
Commonwealth funds
approximately 65%,
parent fees 35%
Kindergarten
High-quality community based
early learning in the year
before school. Supports over
70,000 children annually.
Victorian Government funds
approximately 65% of 10
hours per week.
Early childhood
intervention
services
Therapeutic and learning
inclusion services supporting
approximately 13,000 children
with a disability or
developmental delay.
Victorian Government funds
targeted packages
kindergarten programs that are
delivered in Long Day Care)
Parent fees/ fund-raising
approximately 35% of
provision.
Commonwealth funds
provide for approximately
65% of 5 hours.
Current Work: Early Childhood Agreement
for Children in Out-of-Home Care
450
400
350
300
250
Children aged 0-17 years in out of
home care
200
150
100
50
0
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
years years years years years years years years years years years years years years years years years years
Current Work: Streamlining 0- 4 services for
vulnerable children
• 3 demonstration sites
• Develop and test team-based
practices across services in local
areas
• Strong implementation focus to
support future state-wide roll out.
Early Years Strategic Plan - Framework
for the future
DESIGNING THE FUTURE
The Case for Change
Key drivers impacting on the service are:
• Population pressures and growth
• Family life change
• Barriers to access
• Families requiring additional support
• Changing service systems
• Economic pressures and changes in technology
A vision for the future
• Looking ahead to 2025 – what you have told us the service
needs
• Strong advocacy for retention of current unique features of
the MCH service
• Strong advocacy for the maintenance of a universal
approach while improving key areas.
Key Suggestions
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Flexibility of the KAS framework (timing, delivery)
Addressing needs of emerging and changing communities
Define vulnerability to create a consistent approach
Greater recognition of current strengths of MCH Service
Further develop the workforce to improve quality
Improving the funding model
Improving IT systems and uses
Achieving the vision
• Co-production with the MAV to design and implement
the vision
• 50+ responses were received on the consultation paper
• 4 proposed future directions for MCH strongly supported by
the feedback
• Actions linked to each of these areas also strongly supported
• Strong argument to retaining current unique features:
- Workforce qualifications
- Health prevention
- Partnership role with local government
- Maintain universal approach while improving key areas