General News
10 March, 2025
Critical funding needed for By Five program
The Yarriambiack Shire Council will be advocating to the Victorian State Government's Minister for Children Lizzie Blandthorn, to fund phase two of the vital By Five program from 2025-2029.
By Five Wimmera Southern Malle Early Years Initiative builds on the vision that every child in the region succeeds in learning and life, ensuring every child and family has access to consistent, quality early years services in the required quantity for children.
For more than four years, the Paediatric Telehealth service has been delivered in partnership with the Royal Children's Hospital, funded jointly through the By Five Initiative and VMST funding, but it is only secured until June 30 of this year.
Councillor Karly Kirk said she's "beyond disappointed" that the program hasn't been allocated funding "as yet".
"Wimmera Southern Mallee children are 40 per cent more likely, in the entire state average, to be considered developmentally vulnerable," she said.
"By Five works to reduce that percentage with solutions designed to fit our communities specifically."
An additional $3.5 million in government funding is essential with the program from 2025 to 2029 to:
* Improve the lives of a further 1000 children through targeted health and education services.
* Support 200 rural professionals to deliver localised services.
* Deliver allied health services directly to five rural and remote public schools.
* Support eight new antenatal access locations across the WSM region.
* Integrated eight existing kindergartens and long day care centres.
* Establish eight new long day care services in small rural communities.
* Document and evaluate rural service access models to spread and scale.
Cr Kirk urged everyone to call or email the ministers at state level.
"The funding door isn't shut completely yet, we're told there is still a possibility, so we need the community to get behind By Five," she said.
"We need to make politicians aware of how important it is to our kids."
By Five are now working to manage children in their care and transition them as effectively as possible since funding is not a guarantee.
Public paediatric wait times is now more than four years.