A Strategic Assessment of the Children's Services Industry

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STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT OF THE CHILDREN’S SERVICES INDUSTRYHistory of Municipal Early Years Plans (MEYP)Some councils in Victoria have committed increasing resources over many years tosophisticated social planning, including the development of strategies for specific targetgroups within their community. In some cases the result has been ‘forward’ plans or‘strategic’ plans for specific age-groups. Examples are:• Good Beginnings for Young Children & Families in the City of Wodonga. 2001, and• A Great Start: Strategy for Children and their families, 2003-2006. City ofMelbourne.In 2004, MAV and Office for Children agreed to work together to encourage and support allcouncils in Victoria to produce an Early Years Plan for each municipal area.Defining an MEYP?An MEYP is a local area plan designed to provide a strategic direction for the developmentand coordination of educational, care and health programmes, activities and other localdevelopments that impact on children 0-6 years in a municipality. The plan fits with acouncil’s planning cycle – for example three or five years 10 . By end 2005, all 79 VictorianCouncils had committed to preparing an MEYP.Future role of MAV with MEYPsSince 2004, the State Government (Office for Children) has funded a position with the MAVto secure continued awareness and engagement by councils in a range of initiatives by theOffice for Children and to facilitate feedback from councils on policy positions and optionsput by state on early years issues. This is called the MAV Early Years Project, which is nowinto its second round of 3-year funding. MAV plans to continue to provide support tocouncils for their MEYP by undertaking, in 2008, an analysis of the approaches undertakenby councils in their MEYPs and the key impacts of their implementation. Many councils arethis year reviewing their MEYP, in preparation for development of a second MEYP. A keyrestraint, identified by many councils in discussion with the MAV, has been a lack ofresources at council level for more comprehensive implementation of actions identified intheir first Plans, particularly many rural councils.Case studies from two Victorian councils follow: the City of Port Phillip and the Shire ofGolden Plains. The cases demonstrate that MEY Planning has been successful in assistingcouncils to direct their resources towards outcomes for children and has also influencedcorporate processes, community planning and partnerships with other levels of government,on resourcing and policy issues.Creating a Child Friendly Port Phillip (2005-2009)In Victoria, Local Government is responsible for the planning, coordination and, in manyinstances, the delivery of early years services. A Municipal Early Years Plan provides astrategic direction for the development and coordination of early childhood care, educationand health programmes that impact on children in a municipality10 Extract from Council Action for Early Years Change: MAV Municipal Early Years Planning (MEYP)Framework, June 2006; pg. 10.69
STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT OF THE CHILDREN’S SERVICES INDUSTRYThe City of Port Phillip’s (CoPP) Municipal Early Years Plan (MEYP) is underpinned byrelevant national and international research and presents a long term vision, and clarity ofpurpose, for Council and the community.Vision:‘Port Phillip, a city where childhood is honoured and all children arecherished and supported as active citizens with a voice of their own,secure in their identity and culture; where they are able to play, learn andcontribute to their environments, surrounded by nurturing and supportivecommunities’.Five principles and five goals were identified to underpin Council’s actions and forwarddirection.Principles:Honouring childhoodValuing PlayRespecting children as activecitizensA child’s right to grow in healthyand supportive environmentsThe importance of familyGoals:Promote a whole childperspectiveIncrease child participationImprove child developmentWork in partnership to achieve afully integrated approachBuild on research evidenceThe MEYP was endorsed by Council in 2005. There was broad consultation with families,service providers and staff including surveys (over 400 surveys returned from families),workshops, focus groups and interviews.Children were not consulted as part of the development of the MEYP. Time constraints and alack of training at that time restricted our ability to engage in meaningful, ethicalconversations with children about what they think about their city and their hopes for thefuture.As one of the first actions of the MEYP, the CoPP commissioned the Centre for Equity andInnovation in Early Childhood (CEIEC) to design, deliver and report on an action researchproject that would support increased child participation in CoPP. 142 children hadopportunities to express their ideas, views and concerns about living in the City of Port Phillipand/or the services that they used. A Children’s Plan is currently being developed for councilto consider mid 2008. Importantly, it is now an organisation-wide responsibility, to considerthe views of children in planning, development and implementation of council policies andservices. Importantly, the City of Port Phillip is committed to respecting children as citizensirrespective of age and is committed to leading the community in recognising the rights ofchildren. Council values children’s views in making a Port Phillip a vibrant and inclusive city.The successful implementation of the MEYP (and when finalised, the children’s plan) isreliant on there being a high level of commitment and collaboration across council andbetween staff, and strong relationships with other service providers, children, families and thecommunity.Through the development of the MEYP, Council has articulated its commitment to the earlyyears, has a clear policy framework and a vision for the future. Council has invested70
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