Early Childhood Community Innovation grants
The Department for Education partnered with the LGA to provide SA councils with the opportunity to apply for the Local Government Early Childhood Community Innovation Grants (Local Government Early Childhood Grants).
About this grant
The Local Government Early Childhood Community Innovation Grant projects were funded by the Department for Education and administered by the LGA.
The program supported the delivery of evidence-informed innovation and local and community-led programs in response to local needs identified through the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC).
The grant injected a total of $180,000 into twelve council-led projects specifically tailored to the unique needs of the children and families residing in their communities.
The projects have provided a real impact in local communities across South Australia with the project reaching 5108 people across the state.
The projects were successfully delivered through partnerships with community organisations, childcare providers, schools, and other locally based organisations.
Several projects have received ongoing support and funding from their local councils and community stakeholders.
Sharing the learnings
The LGA held a forum with the Department for Education’s Office for the Early Years to share learnings from this grant program on 19 September 2023.
This forum offered examples of the work that councils are doing around the state to respond to their local Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) data and support early childhood developmental outcomes within communities. These examples demonstrate how seed funding and strong stakeholder partnerships are supporting councils in their crucial role in leading local and responsive early childhood innovation projects in communities.